Times Of Swaziland: TIGHT SECURITY AT NTUTHUKO’S COURT APPEARANCE

TIGHT SECURITY AT NTUTHUKO’S COURT APPEARANCE
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 BY VUYILE DLAMINI on 10/09/2020 08:01:00


MANZINI – Police heightened security during the court appearance of former
Minister of Public Works and Transport Ntuthuko Dlamini yesterday.
Dlamini made his first court appearance at the Manzini Magistrates Court before
Acting Magistrate Thami Ndlovu.
The former minister stands accused of killing two men and attempting to kill
another. He appeared in court after spending two nights in police holding cells
following accusations that he pulled the trigger and killed two men of
Luyengweni on Monday in an ongoing land dispute saga.
Dlamini’s relatives, friends and former colleagues arrived at the court as
early as 8.30am, in anticipation for his arrival. This was after they were left
dejected on Tuesday when they were informed by police officers that the former
minister would make his court appearance the following day (yesterday), as it
transpired that investigations into the case were still ongoing.
The former minister eventually arrived in a white police van shortly after 9am.
Dramatic
His arrival was nothing short of dramatic, as the police van transporting him
was accompanied by two police vehicles. Shortly after his arrival, a dozen
members of the Royal Eswatini Police Service (REPS) alighted from the vehicles,
armed with guns, batons and shields. They littered the court premises,
apparently for security reasons.
Before making his appearance in open court, relatives of Dlamini were seen
greeting him through windows of the police van while his friends and former
colleagues, including former Mkhiweni Member of Parliament (MP) Machawe Mavuso
had a brief chat with him.
Dlamini spent about an hour in the police van, which was under heavy police
guard. From time to time, the plain clothes officers were seen controlling the
former minister’s relatives and friends who surrounded the police van upon its
arrival. While court officials and police officers prepared for Dlamini’s
appearance, members of the public who had come to court for the former
minister’s case and other matters, crammed the court corridors.
Support
However, they could not realise their goal of providing moral support to the
ex-minister as the armed police officers, who were deployed along the court
corridors and entrance, turned them back when they tried to enter the courtroom.
Only a selected number of relatives and supporters were allowed into the
courtroom.
Dlamini was then transported to the underground entrance of the courthouse,
where accused persons usually enter the court to make their appearances. The
underground entrance was heavily guarded as well.
Although Dlamini’s court proceedings were set for Court Three, with court
officials occupying the court while awaiting further instructions, the
proceedings were hastily moved to Court One.
As Dlamini entered the courtroom while wearing a pin-striped suit, he appeared
calm as he received counsel from his attorney Noncedo Ndlangamandla. He was also
seen greeting reporters from various media houses who captured pictures of him
in court.
The former minister was heard cracking jokes, while questioning the reporters if
they had taken enough pictures of him.
“Solo aneneli? Haven’t you taken enough pictures of me? When something good
happens, you would expect reporters to capture even that moment,” he said each
time a photographer tried to taken his picture.
Thereafter, Dlamini appeared concerned about the whereabouts of his wife, as he
pleaded with former MP Mavuso to negotiate with police officers to allow her
inside the courtroom.
He was heard saying he did not want his wife to learn of the court proceedings
from other people and that he wanted her presence in court.
The police officers allowed a woman and Dlamini’s brother to enter the
courtroom, and they sat in the public gallery while waiting to follow the court
proceedings. Attempts were made to verify if indeed the woman was Dlamini’s
wife but none of those present wanted to confirm this information.