Times Of Swaziland: INGAJA HACKED FOR ATTENDING INCWALA INGAJA HACKED FOR ATTENDING INCWALA ================================================================================ Phiwase Phungwayo on 02/01/2025 10:06:00 MANZINI –“I was attacked for being loyal to royalty and attending the Incwala Ceremony.” In a startling and inhumane act, Bhekumuzi Malinga, a 30-year-old warrior was viciously attacked by two unknown assailants wielding a bush knife on his way home from the Incwala Ceremony, at Ngabezweni Royal Residence. The attack resulted in severe injuries to Malinga’s head, and as he valiantly defended himself, he suffered the horrific loss of two fingers (his pinkie finger and ring finger), at the hands of the attackers. The incident happened at Mhlaleni/New Village Road on Saturday night. The Incwala Ceremony is the most significant event, where emaSwati celebrate the harvest of the first fruit inside the Ludzidzini Cattle Byre. The nation also honours the peace and stability that has prevailed since Eswatini gained independence from Britain in 1968. It is important to note that this is not the first incident in which a warrior was attacked for attending the Incwala Ceremony. During the political unrest in the kingdom, a man in traditional regalia was shot while at Ludzeludze. It was gathered that the attackers accused the warriors of attending the Little Incwala at Ngabezweni Royal Residence. One of the warriors was reported dead on other social media platforms. However, it turned out that he was in critical condition at the time when visited in hospital. Warrior In another incident, a warrior was shot at Mahlabatsi in Matsapha while on his way to join the regiments who accompanied the young boys to fetch the sacred shrubs (lusekwane). However, the suspected assailant was shot dead while fleeing the scene. The attack on the two warriors came after some were attacked for singing King’s praise at Sibaya. They were also attacked in Matsapha. In his own words, Malinga revealed that the assailants had made disparaging comments regarding his allegiance to the King and his attendance at the Incwala Ceremony before launching their brutal attack. The comments cannot be repeated due to their highly inflammatory nature. The warrior managed to evade his assailants due to the arrival of cars that startled them. He said he narrowly escaped further harm, for the attackers intended to drag him to a nearby bush, with their bush knife aimed at his head. Insults “The attackers hurled insults at me for being loyal to the King and our culture before viciously striking me in the head with the bush knife,” Malinga recounted. “The sudden attack inflicted immediate harm and trauma, leaving me reeling. In a desperate attempt to save myself, I claimed I was returning from a lobola ceremony, but the attackers, relentless, continued to attack my head with the bush knife as I futilely tried to shield myself with my hands. This resulted in the loss of two of my fingers.” Malinga further explained that the assault was so severe that one of his fingers was severed at the scene, while his pinkie finger was hanging by a thread of flesh. Upon reaching the hospital, he said it was revealed to him that the finger had been severed, leaving a minuscule connection of flesh. He said medical practitioners had to cut the remaining flesh to fully detach the finger from his hand. Malinga went on to describe the traumatic events that unfolded, recounting that he fell to the ground as the relentless assault continued. The warrior mentioned that his attackers attempted to drag him to a nearby bush, away from the road, but he resisted with all his strength. As fate would have it, he recounted that the approach of passing vehicles frightened his assailants, and they fled before stealing his two cellphones and E600 in cash. He said it was through sheer luck that he was able to escape further harm. Flee Malinga stated that he managed to flee and found a group of men, from whom he requested to use a cellphone to call home. He said they kindly allowed him to make the call, and his family immediately came to his aid. The police were notified, and he was subsequently taken to the hospital, where he is currently receiving treatment. He acknowledged that many people adhered to their political ideology, but questioned how this could be considered truly democratic when the same individuals resorted to attacking others who supported the Tinkhundla System of Government. “Why should we abuse each other simply because we hold different political beliefs as emaSwati? What disheartens me is that I’ve never once seen warriors attacking or assaulting another liSwati for wearing their casual or political clothing,” he lamented. He went on to explain that traditional regalia was a fundamental part of Swati culture, representing the very essence of Swati identity. There is no law against wearing such clothing, he emphasised, as it was integral to the nation’s heritage. Malinga expressed deep concern, making it clear that he would never want another Swati to suffer the same fate simply for taking pride in their culture. He cautioned that those who claimed to be fighting for democracy were often left in a worse state, pointing to examples of other countries that had descended into political instability, leading to economic collapse. He warned emaSwati to avoid following this dangerous path, lest the kingdom suffer the same fate as those nations. “This so-called democracy they’re fighting for will only breed violence—and ultimately, disaster,” he said. The warrior went on to emphasise that politics should be about tolerance and respect for differing viewpoints. Hostile He remarked that, given Eswatini’s small size, there was no room for such hostile behaviour. The kingdom, he insisted, had established channels for addressing issues, one of which is Sibaya, and there was no need for violence.Meanwhile, the victim’s mother, deeply anguished by her son’s ordeal, shared her heartbreak. Tears streamed down her face as she reflected on the permanent loss of his fingers, calling the injury pointless and tragic. “Now my son will be discriminated against wherever he goes, as people will assume he lost his fingers in a fight, or for some other reason,” she said, her voice trembling with pain. According to Malinga’s mother, her son is a peaceful man. He said it broke her heart that he had to endure such suffering when all he did was show support for his culture. “All I can say is, may God bless those who did this to him,” she said. Senior Superintendent Phindile Vilakati, the Chief Police Information and Communications Officer said they do not have the matter on their records.