Times Of Swaziland: KILLINGS, ARSON: GOVT NOW AFTER MASTERMINDS - PM

KILLINGS, ARSON: GOVT NOW AFTER MASTERMINDS - PM
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Sibusiso Zwane on 24/11/2022 07:05:00


SIKHUPHE - The Prime Minister, Cleopas Dlamini, says government is now after the
masterminds of the terrorism acts - killing of members of the State security
organs and arson attacks.
The prime minister (PM) said this during a press conference held at King Mswati
III (KMIII) International Airport, just before he jetted out of the country to
Niger, where he will represent the King at the African Union (AU) Extraordinary
Summit on Industrialisation and Economic Diversification and AU Extraordinary
Session on the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). He said on Tuesday
morning, they woke up to disturbing news that the Chief Justice (CJ), Bheki
Maphalala’s home at Jerusalem in the Shiselweni Region was attacked by gunmen
who torched houses and killed five of the CJ’s cattle.
Invaded
The home of the CJ was reportedly invaded by eight gunmen who ordered two people
who were manning the homestead to lie down, before torching the home and
shooting the five cattle. The PM said this incident followed many others where
people, mainly members of the State security organs, were killed, infrastructure
was burnt and businesses together with individuals were robbed by armed robbers.
He sent government’s sympathy to the Maphalala family and promised them that
the culprits would be brought to book.
Thereafter, the PM said it was already public knowledge that the police, who
work hand-in-hand with the other security forces; the Umbutfo Eswatini Defence
Force (UEDF) and His Majesty’s Correctional Services (HMCS), had put behind
bars a number of suspects, in connection with some of the aforementioned violent
criminal activities – which he had been for a long time referring to as
terrorism.
In that regard, he said as government, they commend members of the State
security organs and members of the public who assisted and continue to assist
their mission to bring the suspects to book. He added that without the
assistance of the public, they would have not arrested the suspects.
“It is encouraging to note that some of the suspects are spilling the beans.
They are telling the police who are behind the terrorism acts and now we know
them,” the PM said.
He said some of the suspects had made confessions that they found themselves in
this mess because they were after money and they were sent by people who claimed
they want democracy. To substantiate their (suspects) claims, the PM said they
told them that after accomplishing their mission, they took videos and pictures
and sent them to the alleged main sources of the attacks as proof that they had
done what they had been sent to do. He said later on, they would see the videos
and pictures published by some of the online media houses.
However, the PM did not disclose how much the suspects were paid for carrying
out the violent acts. Worth noting is that the PM made this claims just after
the Senate President, Pastor Lindiwe Dlamini, alleged that terrorists were
funded by international non-governmental organisations (NGOs).  The premier said
since the incarcerated suspects claimed that the people who sent them wanted
democracy, as government, they wondered what did the killing of members of the
State security organs, torching infrastructure and committing armed robberies
had to do with liberation.
Therefore, he said, with the information they were getting from the suspects who
were already behind bars, they would use necessary means to follow and apprehend
the masterminds behind the violent acts. “We know who they are (masterminds)
and we are coming for them. It will not be long before we put them behind bars.
Batolitfota lelimanti,” the PM said. He said according to analysis, the
violent acts were carried out to instil fear among emaSwati so that they could
be afraid to speak. As such, he said if people would be quiet, the assumption
would be that they concurred with them. However, he said things would not go
their way since the members of the State security organs had already started
arresting some of the suspects.