Times Of Swaziland: MPS POSE THREAT, WANT ‘SPECIAL’ TREATMENT - HMCS

MPS POSE THREAT, WANT ‘SPECIAL’ TREATMENT - HMCS
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Times Reporters on 26/09/2022 09:02:00


MBABANE  – There are allegations that the two incarcerated legislators,
Mduduzi Bacede Mabuza and Mthandeni Dube, want to be treated differently from
other inmates.
It is claimed that Hosea Constituency Member of Parliament (MP) Mabuza and
Ngwempisi Constituency MP Dube are supposedly a threat to the security at His
Majesty’s Correctional Services (HMCS) as they allegedly engage in behaviour
contrary to the regulations of the facility. The allegations were made by
sources within the Matsapha Correctional Services, wherein the two lawmakers are
being remanded. The sources purported that what transpired on Thursday morning
was a result of the legislators questioning Correctional officers who were
supposedly searching for contraband. This publication on Friday reported that
warders assaulted the MPs and other inmates in an ordeal that was said to have
lasted for 45 minutes. According to impeccable sources, the legislators, with
seven other inmates, were assaulted by Correctional officers at the crack of
dawn.
Balaclavas
It was alleged that about 20 officers from the Rapid Response Unit, which  is a
para-military unit of HMCS, went to the cell occupied by the MPs Mabuza and
Dube. It was allegedly that during the attack, the Correctional officers had
their faces covered with balaclavas. Upon entry, it was claimed that the
officers started assaulting the two legislators with open hand claps, fists,
kicked them and also spray guns. In light of this, some officers within the HMCS
have come out to claim that the legislators wanted to be treated differently and
be accorded the status of MPs.
They said officers on Thursday morning ended up using minimal force to instil
order as the pair was allegedly first to assault them. They claimed that there
was supposed to be a search for contraband in the cell housing the two MPs. The
sources alleged that the search was set to be extensive as there had supposedly
been claims within the facility that there was a cellular phone which posed a
threat to the security of the facility. “The cellphone is used to make video
calls and engage with people on the outside of the prison and the officers
wanted to get it and minimise any possible threat to the security of the
facility,” said a source.
Veracity
It was claimed that the search sought to establish the veracity of the claims
through a thorough search; however, this initiative fell through as the
‘hunt’ reportedly downgraded to being physical. The sources claimed that
there were instances wherein some of the inmates within the Matsapha facility
had been violent with officers in the facility. They claimed that this was after
the law enforcers had reprimanded inmates who wanted to be intimate with
(touching and kissing) their partners when they visited them. They claimed that
this resulted in a rift which would entail threats by either party to the other.
HMCS Public Relations Officer (PRO) Senior Superintendent Gugulethu Dlamini
confirmed the allegations. She confirmed an incident that supposedly happened on
Wednesday wherein one of the legislators – MP Mabuza – allegedly wanted to
beat a senior Correctional officer. Dlamini said: “The behaviour of the MPs
and other inmates is sometimes against our regulations. As professionals, we
understand that they are in a stressful environment and try to deal with it
professionally.” Rhetorically, she asked why they would have decided to beat
the MPs on Thursday all of a sudden if they had been in their custody for a
longer period without reports of such. Dlamini further said there had been
reports alleging that the legislators were rude and used a tone and language
which was deemed inappropriate within the facility. She said: “We understand
they are respected members of society outside the facility; but within
(Correctional facility), all inmates are equal and are treated as such.”