RESIDENTS RIOT AFTER ALLEGED POACHER KILLED BY RANGERS

MANZINI – Police were called and tear gas canisters were fired to disperse over 50 angry Sihhoye community members, who marched to complain about the killing of the man who was shot by rangers on Monday.

The man, who was suspected to be a poacher, was shot dead by Inyoni Yami Swaziland Irrigation Scheme (YSIS) Farm rangers, who claimed that he was poaching in the farm.
However, the community members claim that the incident was witnessed by a herd boy who was driving cattle in the same bush where the man was shot dead by the rangers.

They believe that the rangers had a plot to kill the man because they allegedly shot him about three kilometres away from the farm.
 They alleged that according to the herd boy, the man was carrying a bag of rice and the rangers must have assumed that he was carrying a poached animal.

Furthermore, they said the man was suspected to be mentally challenged because of the life he was leading.
They said he spent most of his time in his makeshift structure (umkhukhu) which he built next to his father’s tomb and liked walking along the road.

They alleged that according to the witness, the man was unarmed and he raised his hands to the air after he was surrounded by the rangers, which meant that he was no threat to them.
“On top of that, they saw that he was not carrying a poached animal but they continued to shoot him,” the source said.
He said after seeing the herd boy, the rangers chased him away.

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