Times Of Swaziland: COPS DEPLOYED AFTER MINISTER REPORTS DEATH THREATS

COPS DEPLOYED AFTER MINISTER REPORTS DEATH THREATS
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BY NTOMBI MHLONGO on 21/06/2021 08:50:00


MBABANE – A Cabinet minister has had to seek protection from the police after
allegedly receiving death threats.
It has been alleged that the minister, who cannot be named due to the
sensitivity of the matter, received death threats through phone calls from
numbers he did not know. The minister is also a Member of Parliament (MP) but
his constituency and region will not be named. As a result of the alleged
threats, the minister’s homestead is under close protection until the delivery
of a proposed petition to his constituency. The minister is said to have engaged
the Royal Eswatini Police Service (REPS) two weeks ago and they quickly sprang
into action to determine the extent of the threats. After reporting the matter
at a police station under his region, the regional commissioner then assigned a
police officer to convene a meeting with the minister to ascertain the extent of
the threats.
The meeting, this publication gathered, took place on June 4, 2021 at the police
station where the matter was reported. It has been gathered that during the
meeting, it was discussed that the threats were allegedly from individuals he
knew, one of them being a former MP from his constituency. The minister is said
to have mentioned that the threats were also coming from individuals he competed
with during the national elections. Furthermore, it was discussed that the
threats were allegedly coming from organisers of a proposed protest march to
deliver a petition to the minister’s constituency. As a way forward, the
minister is said to have requested assistance from the REPS through regular
patrols at his place of residence. A source close to the matter stated that the
REPS agreed to ensure the safety of the minister.
Patrols
“For the past few days, security has been provided at the minister’s home.
Officers from two police stations have been given the task to conduct regular
patrols,” said the source. The name of the place where the minister’s
homestead is situated is known to this publication but has been withheld for
security reasons. It was also gathered that the police also visited the
minister’s homestead and the aim was to ascertain security structures in place
and determine how they could be beefed up. Regarding the proposed march to
deliver the petition, the minister was given assurance of police presence. When
called yesterday, he confirmed having reported the alleged threats to the
police. “I think these were people who were trying to push me into a corner
yet we are not fighting here. But as you know, sometimes you have to take
serious even the smallest signs,” he said.
The minister mentioned that he was advised to report the threats to the police
and not take them lightly. Asked on the nature of the alleged threats, the
minister said he received messages from the unknown people who said they were
coming for him.