Times Of Swaziland: SENIOR COP LET GO AFTER CONFUSING CORONER

SENIOR COP LET GO AFTER CONFUSING CORONER
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BY SIBUSISO ZWANE on 16/09/2021 08:54:00


MATSAPHA – The Coroner, Senior Magistrate Nonhlanhla Dlamini, excused a senior
police officer from the inquest after she felt that his evidence confused and
did not convince her.
This transpired yesterday during the ongoing inquest into the death of Thabani
Nkomonye, where Assistant Superintendent Mfanimpela Mazibuko from the
Operational Support Services Unit (OSSU) was cross-examined by Advocate Mduduzi
‘Tsotsi’ Mabila. Before cross-examining the senior police officer, the
advocate played some video clips taken during Nkomonye’s memorial service,
which ended in mayhem. Mazibuko is one of the senior officers who led the OSSU
officers during the operation.
When playing the video clips, Advocate Mabila submitted that he wanted to verify
when the police arrived at St Paul’s Sports Ground, where the memorial service
was held, and observe if there was any volatile situation there. He mentioned
that he wanted the officer to explain why they entered the sports ground, prove
that they fired only one tear gas canister and explain why he claimed that he
did not see the memorial service tent.
After the advocate had finished cross-examining the witness, the coroner asked
the technician to restart the video clip at 11 seconds. The coroner again asked
Mazibuko if he did not see the memorial service tent and he said he did not.
Thereafter, she said what she had seen in the video clip was that the police
vehicle (Casspir) they were using on the day, was elevated and there seemed to
be someone who appeared at the top of the vehicle. “What made you not do see
the tent, which was in the vicinity, since your vehicle is bigger that the
ordinary cars which were parked at the venue?” the coroner asked.
Vehicle
She added that as police, they went there to assess the situation and the person
who appeared above the vehicle did so for a reason. In response, Mazibuko
admitted that indeed the vehicle they were using was big. However, Mazibuko
submitted that it was an armoured vehicle, and this allegedly made it difficult
for someone who was inside it to see things that were a bit far through its
windows. The officer claimed that they could only see things which were closer. 
He submitted that at the top of the vehicle, there was an opening, which they
used to look around when they worked as they could not see things which were far
through the windows. “However, during the incident, no one used the opening
because the people were too violent,” the witness claimed.
The coroner and advocate asked the technician to replay the video clip and they
both said there seemed to be a person appearing from the top of the police
armoured vehicle as it entered the sports ground.
However, the argument from the witness and prosecution was that video was
allegedly not clear to say there was a person. At the same time, Advocate Mabila
wondered if the witness wanted the coroner to believe that they ran into the
sports ground, which was full of people, using their vehicle yet they could not
see things that were far. Thereafter, the coroner told the witness that she was
confused because their mission was to protect and maintain peace and order. She
said she believed they were supposed to take action after proper observations
and added that the witness had also submitted that they entered into the
premises of the sports ground twice. “I am a bit confused. Let us excuse the
witness, I do not think there will be a reason to recall him,” the coroner
said. As a result, the witness was excused and he left the witness box.
Subsequently, the sitting was adjourned for the day.