Times Of Swaziland: OVER E2M LOSSES AFTER COPS’ HOMESTEADS, PROPERTIES TORCHED

OVER E2M LOSSES AFTER COPS’ HOMESTEADS, PROPERTIES TORCHED
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Yussuf Mohammed on 13/07/2022 09:06:00


MBABANE – Accumulative losses of approximately over E2 million were incurred
as a result of the destruction of homesteads, properties and vehicles of Royal
Eswatini Police Service (REPS) officers, since the beginning of April.
According to the REPS’ Performance Report on Recurrent and Capital Expenditure
and Other Allied Police Administrative and Operational Activities for the period
of April 1 to June 30, 2022, the matter of compensating the officers for the
losses suffered is on government’s table and that is covered by law. The
compensation of the affected police officers is provided for, in Sections 85 (1)
and 86 (1) of the Police Service Act, No. 22 of 2018 which reads: “Police
officers whose properties were damaged through acts of sabotage and terrorism
are eligible to claim and be compensated for the damaged property at
government’s expense.”
Violence
The report further states that the period under review also saw the acts of
violence, in particular those manifesting through arson attacks, that were being
perpetrated around the country, continuing to the detriment of the quest for
peace and socio-economic development. “The sporadic arson attacks have
affected individuals, businesses as well as the police service in terms of the
organisation’s facilities and properties of individual police officers,” the
report reads. The police service’s infrastructure that had been destroyed
included KaShewula, Luve, Mpaka, Ngculwini, Madlangempisi, Fairview North and
Phumulamcashi police posts. Other structures that were torched were Matsapha
Police Camp, Malkerns and Lubuli station commanders’ houses.
Meanwhile, the report further stated that activities linked to the civil unrest
in the country had taken a new twist and shocking dimension, whereby police
officers were targeted by gunmen. It states that there were five cases where
police officers were shot, two of which had fatal outcomes that were recorded
during the reporting period. Police officers manning the Malagwane Truck Cooling
Station were shot at while on duty by unknown gunmen along the Mbabane-Manzini
Highway, injuring one officer. Two police officers who were responding to an
incident call, were shot at near the Manzini Club and one officer died while the
other one sustained serious injuries.
Meanwhile, two more officers were shot at while on their way to attend a road
traffic accident, which turned out to be a hoax at Mathangeni in Matsapha. As a
result of the shooting, one officer died on the spot while the other sustained
serious injuries. In another rare incident, a police officer was shot at while
driving from his residential house to the KaPhunga Police Station to collect
water. He is currently recovering and under medical supervision. Two police
officers who were carrying out their investigative duties in Sithobelweni were
shot by unknown gunmen and fortunately, there were no casualties as a result of
the incident, according to the report.