Times Of Swaziland: POLICE TORTURE A REALITY IN ESWATINI

POLICE TORTURE A REALITY IN ESWATINI
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Editor on 08/11/2024 09:01:00


Sir,
I was profoundly disturbed by an article I encountered in the eSwatini Times
newspaper dated November 6, 2024. Positioned prominently in the upper corner of
page 5, the article’s headline proclaimed, “No police torture in eSwatini -
minister.” Really? Were it not for the values instilled in me by my parents
regarding respect for elders, I would assert unequivocally that the statement
attributed to the minister is a blatant falsehood. However, out of respect, I
will state that the minister is being less than truthful.
Reality
Police torture is indeed a reality in the country. Several years ago, in the
year 2021 to be precise, I endured severe torture at the hands of the police in
one of the principal police stations, lasting over five hours for a crime I did
not commit, being wrongfully accused of breaking into a shopping complex on the
outskirts of a major town. I was working as a security guard at the time.
Despite my fervent declarations of innocence, the torture persisted without
relent. The experience was not only physically agonising but also
psychologically devastating, as I grappled with the sheer injustice of my
situation. I was stripped of my dignity, treated as a mere object of their
cruelty rather than a human being, deserving respect and compassion.
In the article, the minister purportedly dismissed allegations that suspects are
subjected to torture and forced to lie on benches while being suffocated with
plastic bags in a bid to force out a confession. This mirrors my own experience,
where I faced imminent death as I was cruelly deprived of the ability to
breathe. Police torture allegedly happened in 2010 to one Mozambican national
Zavale, if my memory serves me well, who, unfortunately, lost his life. My
suffocation was not just a physical act; it was a calculated attempt to instill
fear and submission in me. By divine intervention, after I implored my
tormentors for a moment to pray to God to accept my spirit, as it was evident I
was on the brink of death, they finally ceased the torment presumably after it
was obvious I was innocent of the crime. It was a moment of desperation that I
will never forget, a plea that came from the depths of my soul.
Apology
What infuriated me further was that just days after my suffering, the actual
perpetrator was apprehended. Regrettably, none of my torturers returned to offer
any form of apology. The lack of accountability for their actions only deepened
my sense of betrayal and injustice. The fear of the police will forever reside
in me forever. As a person of faith, I hold a belief in forgiveness, but it is a
struggle to reconcile that belief with the reality of what I endured. How can
one forgive when the perpetrators remain unrepentant and the system that should
protect the innocent instead perpetuates violence and abuse by blatantly denying
to the world that police torture exists in the country?
Injustice
The existence of police torture is undeniable, and for esteemed politicians to
categorically deny this reality constitutes a grave injustice. I’m cognisant
of the fact that politicians, by the very nature of their ungodly profession,
find pleasure in playing to the gallery and are more often than not, economical
with the truth. By setting the record straight about police torture, I’m
dispelling the notion that police torture does not exist. Believe me, in some
instances, it does.
Alex Lucky Nxumalo