Times Of Swaziland: ATM BOMBINGS: 3 SA NATIONALS, ESWATINI TV EMPLOYEE ARRESTED

ATM BOMBINGS: 3 SA NATIONALS, ESWATINI TV EMPLOYEE ARRESTED
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Mbongiseni Ndzimandze on 22/08/2022 08:48:00


MBABANE – The tranquil atmosphere at a popular hangout spot in Mbabane was
broken abruptly on Saturday when police officers fired gunshots and patrons ran
for cover.
This was during the arrest of three South African nationals and an employee of
Eswatini TV in connection with the bombing of the Standard Bank Eswatini ATM at
the Mbabane Industrial Site. The quartet was arrested while at Checkers in
Mbabane, well above 24 hours after the automated teller machine (ATM) was
bombed. Police officers arrived unexpectedly at around 5pm at the establishment,
which is situated about three kilometres from the city centre. This was after
the law enforcement agents had received information to the effect that some of
the suspects in the bombing of the Standard Bank ATM at the Industrial Site were
imbibing alcoholic drinks at the hangout spot. The ATM was bombed and reduced to
rubble in the early hours of Friday.
On the same night, an attempt was made to bomb an ATM near Kentucky Fried
Chicken (KFC) in the city centre, but the suspects abandoned their mission after
a police vehicle that was on patrol around the city passed by. According to a
source, the police arrived at around 5pm and positioned themselves strategically
and some of them accosted the suspects who were seated in a car, which was
parked outside the establishment, having drinks. Seeing the police sniffing
around, according to the insider, one of the suspects tried to pull out a
firearm. The source said the police officers who were in the shadows, fired
warning shots. “There were six of them in the car which was parked adjacent to
the building of the establishment and when the police approached the car, two of
them fled the scene,” said the source. The source also confided that before
the arrival of the police, some of the suspects were seen buying alcoholic
beverages using crisp bank notes, which was one of the things that raised
suspicions.
Regular
According to the source, one of the suspects was a regular at the hangout spot,
but the people he was with, who spoke the Zulu language, were not emaSwati.
Another source informed this publication that the suspects were travelling in a
BMW sedan, which they left at a car wash and went to enjoy their beverages next
to other vehicles of patrons parked in the area. The source said suddenly
gunshots were fired and some people were arrested. The vehicle in which the
suspects were travelling in was taken to the police station, said the source.
“The police officers who came here did a very tremendous job and the manner in
which they handled the situation was professional in that no one was injured
during the skirmish,” said one of the eyewitnesses. The eyewitness said he was
still traumatised after the incident, as she never thought the suspects were
among the people who were enjoying alcoholic beverages at the establishment on
Saturday.
The ATM that was bombed on Friday morning was situated in front of All
Stationery, along Sheffield Road, next to the traffic circle near Bandag Tyres
and it was mangled as the explosives went off twice. The incident resulted in a
number of people worrying about the potency of the explosives that are in the
hands of criminals. The Eswatini TV employee, who is in the Marketing
Department, and three South African nationals, are also implicated in the recent
bombing of an ATM belonging to First National Bank (FNB) Eswatini, which is
situated next to Spar in Mbabane.
It has been reliably gathered that the police are searching for two other
suspects, one being a liSwati and the other a South African national. “The
South African national and the liSwati, who are now fugitives from the law, took
to their heels after getting information that police were hot on their heels,”
said the source. Deputy Police Information and Communications Officer Inspector
Nosipho Mnguni confirmed the arrest of the quartert. Members of the public have
applauded the police for the swift arrest of the suspects.  Some took to social
media to applaud the police for a job well done. “Cha kuyasentjwentwa
ngemphela, kuhle loku kuyancomeka loku maphoyisa,” said one of the users.
Another wrote: “Well done maphoyisa, you must leave no stone unturned.”
Others pleaded with government to improve the salaries of police officers as
their job was risky.