Times Of Swaziland: PRINCIPAL CROWN COUNSEL’S DAUGHTER (12) ESCAPES KIDNAPPERS

PRINCIPAL CROWN COUNSEL’S DAUGHTER (12) ESCAPES KIDNAPPERS
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Times Reporter on 19/08/2022 08:25:00


MBABANE – A 12-year-old daughter of Principal Crown Counsel Macebo Nxumalo is
living in fear after escaping the clutches of kidnappers, who attempted to
snatch her at her school.
The description of the motor vehicle which the kidnappers were travelling in,
according to an impeccable source, fitted that of the car that was seen during a
shooting incident that happened in the Manzini Region over the past weekend. The
minor, who is doing Grade VII in one of the schools around the city, was taken
to a place of safety after the incident, which left her traumatised.
School
She has since stopped attending school for now and her peers will be writing the
end of year examination in three months. When the attempt to kidnap the minor
was made, she was at school. An impeccable source informed this publication that
the minor received a call on her cellphone from an unknown person. The caller,
who was female, according to the source, told the pupil to come to the school
gate.  When viewed on Truecaller, the Eswatini Mobile number that called the
minor, showed a picture of a woman wearing a maroon jacket. The woman is
estimated to be between her late 30s and early 40s. Her hair is plaited and she
has a stern face.
Pupil
The insider said the caller informed the pupil that she had been sent by her
mother to bring her some money and she was from the police station.
The caller was in the company of two men in the motor vehicle they were
travelling in. The registration plates had been removed from the car.
The pupil, the source narrated, is said to have proceeded to the school gate,
where she was supposed to meet the caller, and their motor vehicle was there but
it was already moving away.
Nxumalo’s daughter is said to have dialled the number of the person who had
called her and asked why they were leaving.The response she got, according to
the insider, was that they would come back.  The daughter received yet another
call from the same woman, said the source, and this time she invited her to one
of the restaurants at The Swazi Plaza. She is said to have walked to town but
while passing the Dlanubeka Building, the woman called her again and told her to
go back and said she would call her after school.
The pupil is said to have returned to school but some teachers had already
become suspicious of the whole issue and called the minor’s parents, who
confirmed that they did not send any people or person to give money to their
child.When contacted, Nxumalo reluctantly confirmed the incident. When asked
about the recent allegations that he was handling terrorism cases in order to
push a political agenda, Nxumalo said: “What I know is that these matters are
handled by a team of prosecutors, not by me alone.”
Nxumalo said at the Director of Public Prosecutions’ (DPP) Office, a team of
prosecutors was formed by superiors and the dockets were allocated, not that he
was the one who chose which cases to handle.  “These dockets are not my
babies,” said Nxumalo. He further highlighted that his only sin was that he
was the one who was communicating with a lawyer handling one of the terrorism
cases which had begun at the High Court.
Communicated
According to Nxumalo; “When I communicated with the defence lawyer, he was
requesting further particulars and that the indictment was sent to my email and
I forwarded it to the lawyer.” He said the person who issued the information,
which he said was devoid of the truth, was just taking advantage of the current
situation to get him killed. Nxumalo has handled a number of high profile cases
such as the E50 million Capacity Building Fund that was misappropriated, Nelisa
Hlatshwako (pending), Sipho Shongwe, who is accused of having a hand in the
murder of Victor Gamedze (pending),  police officer Mduduzi ‘Schaza’
Matsebula’s case, Elangeni alleged serial killer Vusi Phineas Dlamini matter
(pending), PUDEMO President Mlungisi Makhanya and six others who are accused of
committing terrorist acts, and the one of the late PUDEMO President Mario
Masuku, to name a few. Deputy Police Information and Communications Officer
Nosipho Mnguni confirmed the matter and said police had instituted an
investigation.