Times Of Swaziland: ... STILL NO KIDNAPPING CASE REPORTED

... STILL NO KIDNAPPING CASE REPORTED
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Stanley Khumalo and Sibusiso Zwane on 03/11/2022 09:01:00


MANZINI – Almost two days later, there is still no kidnapping case reported to
the police.
Deputy Police Information and Communications Officer Inspector Nosipho Mnguni
said the police had not interviewed any individual as there was no report of a
kidnapped police officer.
Mnguni was responding to a question which sought to establish if the police had
visited and recorded a statement with the law enforcer supposing that he was
abducted and ordered to lead five gunmen to compound where the Deputy National
Commissioner of Police, Lydia Dlamini, resides.
Modus operandi
It is worth noting that recently, the modus operandi which was used by the
supposed five gunmen is similar to the one that was utilised at His Majesty’s
Correctional Services (HMCS) – Sidwashini Correctional Facility, to be
specific, wherein a warder - Wandile Mphumelelo Gina (32) – was with the
people who abducted, assaulted and later killed his colleague. The deceased
warder was kidnapped while engaging in his duties at Sidwashini Correctional
Services and the men who were with Gina disarmed him and fled with the HMCS gun.
Gina was later declared a person of interest by the HMCS as they requested those
with the knowledge of his whereabouts to contact the police on their toll free
number 999 or 9999. This is a second incident to reportedly involve five gunmen
in a space of two days.
These events happened hardly a week (on Tuesday October 25, 202) after the Royal
Eswatini Police Service (REPS), through the office of the Police Information and
Communications Officer, sent a warning to the public to be on high alert as a
group of five men have illegally entered the Kingdom of Eswatini, armed with
explosives. According to the police, the five men reportedly gained entry into
the country through an informal crossing pint near Ngwenya Border Gate on Monday
October 24, 2022. In that regard, the police urged the public to be on high
alert at all times and whenever the see any suspicious men in their
surroundings, they should contact the police through their toll free emergency
number 999/9999 or nearby police station commander.
The first incident took place Price Rite Cash and Carry Wholesale in Manzini,
where five gunmen robbed the shop about E90 000 during a daylight robbery. One
of them was reportedly armed with an assault rifle, while rest were carrying
pistols. Then about a day later, five men who were armed with pistols
purportedly kidnapped a law enforcer while he was at Matsapha. It is claimed
they wanted to use him in some of their operations.