Times Of Swaziland: SECURITY OFFICERS MURDER SUSPECTS FACE 29 CHARGES

SECURITY OFFICERS MURDER SUSPECTS FACE 29 CHARGES
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Kwanele Dlamini on 23/11/2022 07:32:00


MBABANE – The incarcerated political activists face seven counts of the murder
of members of the three State security forces.
Ncamiso Mabuyakhulu, who is a member of the Swaziland Youth Congress (SWAYOCO)
and Philani Sihlongonyane, a member of the Swaziland Liberation Movement
(SWALIMO) and their co-accused, German Robert Dlamini, whose political home is
uncertain, have been charged with a total of 29 counts. Seven of the charges are
for the murder of police officers, Correctional Services officers and an Umbutfo
Eswatini Defence Force (UEDF) member. They also face six counts of contravening
the Arms and Ammunition Act, 1964 as amended, for alleged unlawful possession of
firearms and rounds of ammunition.
Kidnapping
According to the charge sheet, the accused persons, who appeared for their
remand hearing yesterday at the High Court, have also been charged with two
counts of attempted murder and four of kidnapping. Other charges preferred
against the trio are; six counts of robbery, one of which is an alternative
charge to the count of contravening the Suppression of Terrorism Act of 2008, as
amended. There are two charges of contravening the Suppression of Terrorism Act
in their charge sheet. Malicious injury to property and arson are the other
charges faced by the accused persons. Notably, German appears only in the
charges of unlawful possession of firearms and rounds of ammunition.
Firearm
In the first count, Mabuyakhulu and Sihlongonyane are alleged to have committed
an offence under the Suppression of Terrorism Act, by pointing a firearm at
Fanalakhe Ndzinisa and Zandile Ndzinisa. They are alleged to have stolen a 9mm
Browning pistol with serial number 12882 and 12 rounds of ammunition from
Fanalakhe. They allegedly proceeded to set a silver grey Mazda Verisa registered
TSD 944 AS on fire. According to the charge sheet, Mabuyakhulu and Sihlongonyane
allegedly committed these offences for political purposes with the intention to
intimidate a section of the public, law enforcement or to cause the overthrow of
the Government of Eswatini.
The alternative offence to this charge is robbery. The offence was committed on
June 9, 2022 at Sigwe in the Shiselweni Region. In the second count of
contravening the Suppression of Terrorism Act, Mabuyakhulu and Sihlongonyane are
alleged to have shot and killed Mbongiseni Mthayi Dlamini, who was a
Correctional officer.
Mbongiseni was killed on November 4, 2022 at Sidvokodvo. The offence, according
to the charge indictment, was committed for political purposes to intimidate a
section of the public and bring about the overthrow of government by force or
violence. The alternative charge to this offence is the murder of Mbongiseni.
Mabuyakhulu and Sihlongonyane are alleged to have killed Mbongiseni jointly at
Sidvokodvo.
On May 24, 2022, the pair of Mabuyakhulu and Sihlongonyane allegedly killed a
member of UEDF, Nkosinathi Dlamini. They are alleged to have killed Richard
Madibhane Ngwenya on July 6, 2022 at Nsubane in the Lubombo Region. The
indictment further states that the two allegedly murdered a police officer,
Thulani Mthembu at Ngculwini in the Manzini Region on August 12, 2022. They are
alleged to have killed the two police officers who were on duty near Grand
Valley in Manzini on October 18, 2022.
Killed
These officers were Sifiso Mthembu, who had just spoken to his mother, and
Sonnyboy Dlamini. Mabuyakhulu and Sihlongonyane also allegedly killed Thembeni
Betty Mngometulu, who was aged 77 years. The offence was committed on September
29, 2022 at Hluti in the Shiselweni Region.
The attempted murder charges are in relation to the shooting of one Khayelihle
Zwane and Sesinaye Gama. The offences were committed on July 6, 2022 and August
12, 2022 at Ngculwini and Nsubane.
They are alleged to have kidnapped Fortunate Zubuko at Nyakatfo High School and
robbed her of a Samsung Galaxy J5 valued at E2 500 and Mlungisi Kunene whom they
allegedly robbed a Huawei Y6 cellphone worth E2 500 in the same school on August
10, 2022. The indictment also states that on December 20, 2021 at Ndunayithi in
the Shiselweni Region, Mabuyakhulu and Sihlongonyane are alleged to have burnt
the homestead of the Minister of Tinkhundla Administration and Development,
David ‘Cruiser’ Ngcamphalala.
They face a charge of arson for burning the homestead. In the same school,
Mabuyakhulu and Sihlongonyane also allegedly kidnapped Mhlonishwa Mntshali and
further robbed him of a Huawei Y6 cellphone. They went on to allegedly kidnap
Sihle Matimakhulu at Nyakatfo High School on the same date and imprisoned him in
a motor vehicle for three hours. The accused persons, except for German,
allegedly robbed Matimakhulu of a Samsung Galaxy cellphone. In the six counts of
contravening the Arms and Ammunition Act, Mabuyakhulu, Sihlongonyane and German
were allegedly found in possession of an R4 rifle at Egebeni in the Manzini
Region on November 20, 2022 without a valid permit. They were also allegedly
found in possession of an R1 rifle at Egebeni on the same date.
Pistol
Also on November 20, 2022, the three accused persons were allegedly found in
possession of 9mm pistol at Sidvokodvo and 22 live rounds of ammunition of an R4
rifle without a current licence to possess them at Egebeni. On the same day, at
Egebeni, the duo was found in possession of an R1 rifle and 10 live rounds of
ammunition of a 9mm pistol at Sidvokodvo. Their robbery charges include one that
was committed on October 18, 2022 at Grand Valley in Manzini, where they
allegedly threatened the two police officers, Sifiso and Sonnyboy, with a
firearm to induce fear in them in order to rob them of an R4 rifle worth E35
000.
The firearm belonged to the Royal Eswatini Police Service (REPS). They have also
been accused of robbing Fanalakhe of a Browning 9mm pistol with serial number
12882 and 12 rounds of ammunition valued at E13 000. Mabuyakhulu and
Sihlongonyane are accused of robbing Richard Madibhane Ngwenya of an R1 rifle on
July 6, 2022 at Nsubane. The duo of Mabuyakhulu andSihlongonyane was arrested on
Saturday afternoon at a roadblock manned at Mkhondvo River Bridge. Their
dramatic arrest, which drew the attention of the public, was said to have taken
place just after 2pm. The pair was travelling in a beige Honda Fit sedan and
were in the company of a South African national, who fled.