Times Of Swaziland: MUTI FOUND ON JAN, ‘BOMBER’ ROBBERY SUSPECTS

MUTI FOUND ON JAN, ‘BOMBER’ ROBBERY SUSPECTS
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BY SIBUSISO ZWANE on 08/01/2014 01:39:00


MANZINI - Royal Swaziland Police (RSP) officers found muti on the suspects
arrested for the robberies of parliamentarians Jan Sithole and Adam ‘Bomber’
Mthethwa. Sithole is the Member of Parliament for Manzini North, while Mthethwa
is a Senator and also the Football Association (FA) President.
The officers from the Serious Crimes Unit (Lukhozi) and Criminal Investigations
Department (CID) found the muti after they had arrested the four suspects on
Friday and Saturday.
Reliable sources confirmed that the muti was found tied in a cloth on the
suspect’s waists and hands after they had allegedly consulted a traditional
healer from around Manzini.
A highly-placed source within the home of the traditional healer (inyanga)
revealed that the suspects arrived before their arrests and requested muti that
would prevent the police from coming near them. “The traditional healer chased
them and told them that the police were around and they would be arrested soon.
They immediately left our home and went to another one, who is alleged to have
given them the muti they were found with when they were arrested by the
police,” the source who preferred anonymity, said.
It could not  be established where the other traditional healer is based, the
suspects were, however, arrested a few hours after they had been given the muti.
Information gathered is that the police, upon discovering the muti, put it
inside the belongings of one of the suspects.
The bag with the muti is currently kept at the Matsapha Police Station. It could
not be ascertained if the muti would be presented as part of the exhibits for
the cases or not.
The suspects are Zolile Thembisa Motsa (22) of Ngwane Park, Xolani ‘Bababa’
Dlamini (27) of Ngwane Park, Mozambican national Sifiso ‘Augusto’ Mandlazi
(23) of KaKhoza and Bheki ‘Manqoba’ Masuku (27) of Dvokolwako.
They are expected back in court tomorrow pending the completion of
investigations and gathering of most of the exhibits which are reportedly kept
in Maputo, Mozambique.
The suspects who are facing 14 counts which include armed robbery, housebreaking
and theft, contravening the Arms and Ammunitions Act and theft of a motor
vehicle among others are alleged to have stolen items valued at E279 250.
The items include Smart phones, a vehicle, several laptops, car keys, riding
gear, ATM cards, clothing items, perfumes, digital cameras, gold jewellery,
identity cards, passports and cash.
The Royal Swaziland Police (RSP) PRO, Superintendent Wendy Hleta confirmed that
the police found muti tied on the said armed robbery suspects. Superintendent
Hleta further warned the public not to rely on something that did not go with
good ethics.
“The law does not go hand in hand with muti nor does it believe in it. I must
say that such things have opened our eyes as we also have to strengthen our
investigations, especially by going to these traditional healers’ places to
sift criminal elements and how they operate,” Superintendent Hleta said.