Times Of Swaziland: RESIDENTS RIOT AFTER ALLEGED POACHER KILLED BY RANGERS

RESIDENTS RIOT AFTER ALLEGED POACHER KILLED BY RANGERS
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BY SIBUSISO ZWANE on 17/05/2017 01:27:00


MANZINI – Police were called and tear gas canisters were fired to disperse
over 50 angry Sihhoye community members, who marched to complain about the
killing of the man who was shot by rangers on Monday.
The man, who was suspected to be a poacher, was shot dead by Inyoni Yami
Swaziland Irrigation Scheme (YSIS) Farm rangers, who claimed that he was
poaching in the farm.
However, the community members claim that the incident was witnessed by a herd
boy who was driving cattle in the same bush where the man was shot dead by the
rangers.
They believe that the rangers had a plot to kill the man because they allegedly
shot him about three kilometres away from the farm.
They alleged that according to the herd boy, the man was carrying a bag of rice
and the rangers must have assumed that he was carrying a poached animal.
Furthermore, they said the man was suspected to be mentally challenged because
of the life he was leading.
They said he spent most of his time in his makeshift structure (umkhukhu) which
he built next to his father’s tomb and liked walking along the road.
They alleged that according to the witness, the man was unarmed and he raised
his hands to the air after he was surrounded by the rangers, which meant that he
was no threat to them.
“On top of that, they saw that he was not carrying a poached animal but they
continued to shoot him,” the source said.
He said after seeing the herd boy, the rangers chased him away.