Times Of Swaziland: LOMAHASHA SHOOTING: I WAS ON DUTY – TWENTY

LOMAHASHA SHOOTING: I WAS ON DUTY – TWENTY
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BY MBONGISENI NDZIMANDZE on 04/08/2021 08:38:00


MBABANE – Twenty Nkosinathi Dlamini claims that he was on duty when he
‘accidentally’ shot two people during a funeral at Lomahasha last month.
Dlamini is the police officer who allegedly killed two people using a service
rifle at Lomahasha in the Lubombo Region. It is alleged that on July 17, 2021,
near KaTolo, Dlamini (allegedly) unlawfully killed Mcolisi ‘Sigubhu’ Nyoni
and Sifiso ‘Mpostoli’ Masilela. In his application for bail, Dlamini told
the court that he was being attacked by a group of 40 people who wanted to kill
him. He narrated that on July 17, having knocked off from work on the very same
morning; he went to sleep since he was meant to report for duty in the evening
of the same day at 10pm.
He said having taken a nap in the late afternoon, together with one Mdletshe,
they went to braai some meat at Take a Chance Restaurant and after that he went
back to his house. The accused claimed that since there was nothing he was doing
he decided to report early for work.  According to Dlamini, when he arrived at
his workstation he did the usual routine, which is or was inclusive of the
recording of his report in the occurrence book (OB). He told the court that he
was recorded on the OB by Constable Detective Mamba and further deployed to
guard at the Vat Camp, where they had been instructed by their superiors that
due to the unrest that was prevailing in the kingdom, it should be guarded 24
hours. Dlamini said he then proceeded to Vat Camp to resume duty and as usual,
he was carrying a service rifle.
According to the accused, while at his dutystation, about three people informed
him that there were individuals who were fighting at Take it Easy Restaurant,
where the fight was caused by imbibers. He recounted that, after receiving such
information and being acquainted with most members of the community whom he had
always assisted whenever there were squabbles, he then proceeded to the scene.
Noise
Dlamini informed the court that as he was approaching, he could tell that there
was a lot of noise at a certain KaPeter homestead and he concluded that the
people he had referred to above, probably meant that the squabble was at that
homestead. “Upon arrival at the said homestead, which I was acquainted with
and knew that there were preparations for a funeral thereat and even before I
could investigate the report, a group of 40 people identified me as a member of
the Royal Eswatini Police Service and started hurling insults at me,”
submitted the accused. He further claimed that they attacked him carrying an
assortment of weapons including bush knives, handmade knives, knobkerries and
all sort of weapons. “I tried to escape from the group which was attacking me
for unknown reasons and my escape efforts were becoming more and more in vain
and it was then that I used the service rifle to pave an escape route,” he
argued.
Dlamini said the assault continued, with the group of people even having
stripped him the top of his police uniform and trying to dispose him of the
service rifle which he had cocked at the time. He claimed that the group was
also trying to take the gun from him. “As I had reasonable belief that once
the gun was taken from me, I was going to get shot, the service rifle fired two
shots and the group of people dispersed with about two of them remaining behind.
 I then realised that the two shots from the service rifle had hit two people
and they were already lying on the ground.” The bail application is still
pending at the High Court and the Crown is yet to indicate whether it is
opposing same or not. The accused is represented by Linda Dlamini of Linda
Dlamini & Associates in Mbabane.