Times Of Swaziland: LAW ENFORCERS ACCUSED OF DEMANDING BRIBES

LAW ENFORCERS ACCUSED OF DEMANDING BRIBES
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Stanley Khumalo on 01/04/2020 08:54:00


MANZINI – The partial lockdown imposed by government has come up with scathing
allegations against security personnel manning the hub.
The security personnel deployed by government are from the Royal Eswatini Police
Service (REPS), His Majesty’s Correctional Services (HMCS) and Umbutfo
Eswatini Defence Force (UEDF). Some entrepreneurs within the hub claimed that
some members of the security agencies had demanded that they pay a certain
amount so that their shops would not be closed.
These allegations came about when this reporter was visiting some of the
shopping complexes that were illegally closed by the security agents. In fact,
the hub of the country has a few shops operating as many were closed after they
were classified not to be essential service providers by the law enforcers yet
government was clear that businesses were allowed to operate, so long as they
adhered to the precautionary measures of not more than 20 people in the shop,
practise social distancing and have sanitisers for clients.
Offered
The business owners alleged that some of the security personnel had offered to
let them operate their businesses as long as they gave them money.  One of the
entrepreneurs claimed that the security personnel had said they would let him
operate his business if he paid them something. “They said they would alert me
if another group (of security personnel) was approaching. However, I did not pay
because I did not have the money.” The businessman claimed this happened on
Saturday, which is the very day the clampdown on many businesses began.
Efforts to establish why he did not report this to the officers’ superiors
yielded nothing positive as he claimed that he did not want to get into trouble.
“I am only here for business and I don’t want to have enemies as that would
complicate my life,” he said. Another entrepreneur claimed the same thing. He
also said this happened on Saturday as police officers forced him to close his
shop. The businessman also claimed that the police had offered to let him trade
as long as he paid them E700. He further claimed that the officers were three in
number and wearing blue uniforms. Insinuating that there were elements of
corruption was another popular businessman in the country.