Taxi man who chopped off another's hand gets E50 000 bail

MBAABNE – The taxi driver who cut off a man’s hand has been granted E50 000 bail.

Senzo Dlamini from Esibuyeni in the Hhohho region under Chief Mafohla, was charged with attempted murder after allegedly cutting off Thembinkosi Maseko’s hand with a bush knife.   
The two were allegedly involved in a customer feud near the Yemfo Bar in Mbabane on October 23, 2009. He was arrested and charged with attempted murder.

He appeared before Justice Qinisile Mabuza to apply for bail. He was represented by Makhosi Vilakati from Sibusiso B. Shongwe and Associates. The Director of Public Prosecutions’ office did not oppose the application.
Mabuza admitted Dlamini to E50 000 bail and ordered him to pay E5 000 cash and provide surety amounting to E45 000. He had not paid the bail by the time of compiling this report.

Dlamini indicated that he would plead guilty to the charge. He alleged that he was acting in self-defence after Maseko, who also drives another taxi, attacked him with two friends over customers. He alleged that they accused him of taking Maseko’s customers. He denied that he had disposed Maseko of some customers.  He also alleged that he tried to reason with Maseko but he picked a fight. He alleged that Maseko followed him to his car and clapped him on the face in front of his customers.  

“I tried to reason with the complainant and enquired why he was fighting with me. While I was arguing with him, I noticed that his friends had fished out knives. Maseko had armed himself with a beer bottle and was ready to hit me on the head,” he said in his affidavit.

Dlamini further alleged that Maseko’s sobriety was in a questionable state. He alleged that, in self defence, he pulled out a bush knife from his vehicle to try to scare away the complainant and his friends.

“It happened that Maseko’s left hand was mistakenly chopped off by the bush knife. I never at any point in time attempted to kill Maseko, but I was trying to dispossess him of the bottle of beer he was about to throw at me and in that process, he was struck by the bush knife on his left hand,” he said in his affidavit.

Dlamini was ordered to report to the Mbabane police station on fortnight basis and to refrain from interfering with crown witnesses.

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