Times Of Swaziland: MAN IN PARLY FIRE FEARS FOR HIS LIFE

MAN IN PARLY FIRE FEARS FOR HIS LIFE
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BY PHIWASE PHUNGWAYO on 26/07/2021 08:55:00


MBABANE – The Parliament employee who was convicted for being responsible for
a fire that broke out near the Parliament building says he fears for his life
after being purportedly followed by members of the security forces.
Micah Dlamini, who is an usher in Senate and a part-time driver for Senate
President Lindiwe Dlamini, was arrested for being responsible for a fire that
broke out not far from the Parliament building. He appeared at the Mbabane
Magistrates Court on July 2.
Police were said to have suspected that the fire was part of the countrywide
arson attacks on various infrastructure. The arson attacks were carried out at
the height of the political unrest that resulted in the looting, vandalism and
burning of some business premises. The fire is said to have been ignited between
the Parliament building and the King Sobhuza II Memorial Park on the night and
the employee was found in the vicinity, hence he was arrested as it was
suspected that he was behind the inferno.
Target
The police are said to have been of the belief that the main target was the
Parliament building. According to Eswatini News, when Dlamini appeared before
Mbabane Senior Magistrate Sifiso Vilakati, he was charged under the Grassfire
Act of 1955 for having started a wildfire. It was reported that impeccable
sources said when the matter was heard, his defence was that it was not his
intention to start the fire but he was smoking a cigarette and the matchstick he
had used to light it was the one that started the blaze after he carelessly
disposed of it.
Magistrate Vilakati is said to have enquired from Dlamini whether his igniting
of the fire was also in conjunction with the ongoing political unrest and the
suspect explained that it was not, but was just carelessness caused by smoking.
Meanwhile, according to Dlamini, he has, on two occasions, been followed by
members of the Umbutfo Eswatini Defence Force (UEDF) and Royal Eswatini Police
Service (REPS). He also alleged that he was assaulted by the police after the
fire incident. Dlamini said on July 10, he was stopped by about four members of
the UEDF who were on board a non-registered vehicle at around 5pm. “I was
heading home when they all alighted from the vehicle and approached my
direction. After seeing that they all alighted, including the driver of the car,
I drove off as I feared what they could possibly do to me,” he claimed.
Dlamini said the troops never followed him thereafter. He also recalled the
second instance, where he was stopped by three members of the REPS at KaGeorge,
Buhleni. He said when they stopped him, he also did the same thing.
“I want this to be recorded and shared so that in case anything happens to me
and I die, it is a record of how I died,” he said. When reached for comment,
Chief Police Information and Communications Officer Superintendent Phindile
Vilakati said the police arrested Dlamini and his case was finalised. Vilakati
said this did not mean the police service would not investigate and arrest him
if he committed other crimes. “The police will continue following him.We
should note that the police service is where people run to for protection,”
the police mouthpiece said.