EX-MP NTUTHUKO SHOOTS, KILLS 2 MEN IN LAND DISPUTE

MBABANE – A longstanding boundary dispute between two chiefdoms ended tragically yesterday morning when former Cabinet Minister Ntuthuko Dlamini allegedly shot and killed two people. 

A third person is currently admitted to hospital after also being allegedly shot by the former minister.  

The fatal incident occurred at Mhlabubovu Traffic Circle, which leads to Bhunya and Mankayane, near the former minister of Public Works and Transport’s shopping complex.

One of the deceased persons is reported to be a former police officer and has been identified as Simon Shongwe and the other one is reported to be a Tsabedze – a community police member of Luyengweni.

Mhlabubovu is the land under dispute between LaMgabhi and Luyengweni chiefdoms, whose traditional leaders are the late Chief Ndzimanye Dlamini and Chief Lembelele Dlamini respectively.

Allocating 

Both of the men who were shot dead allegedly by the former minister, are reportedly from Luyengweni and were part of a group that was travelling with the chiefdom’s inner council (bandlancane) that was reportedly going about allocating land at Mhlabubovu to certain individuals.

There has been varying narrations of how the shooting occurred.

According to Dlamini, who boasts 15 years of political office experience, including nine months as Acting Deputy Prime Minister, he told the Times of Eswatini that he (allegedly) shot the three people in self-defence and alleged that they were the ones who initially drew their weapons against him.

He also alleged that one of the men, Shongwe, drew a gun first and shot at him but missed, which led to him allegedly opening fire.

Dlamini, who is a senior member (umntfwanenkhosi) of the LaMgabhi Royal Kraal, said he received calls from LaMgabhi residents who informed him of the Luyengweni Inner Council’s unexpected presence at Mhlabubovu.

He said in the company of LaMgabhi’s umgijimi, a member of the inner council and a resident, he then went to where the Luyengweni delegation was in order to find out what their mission was and upon arrival there, they indeed confirmed that they were allegedly allocating land to people.

“I asked them if they were defying a ruling by His Majesty that the land belonged to LaMgabhi chiefdom instead of Luyengweni. That was when there was a serious confrontation and weapons, including a bush knife and knobkerrie, were drawn. While I was busy focusing on the one who had drawn a knobkerrie, I heard a gunshot that was directed at me but the shooter missed. I retaliated by drawing out my own gun and shot at the man who was also carrying a gun,” the former minister alleged.

He said the man (Shongwe) fell down after he shot him once but he then (allegedly) shot him again as he lay on the ground both gunshots were to the chest.

“The other man (Tsabedze) then charged towards me and I also shot him once in the chest and he fell to the ground,” Dlamini alleged, before giving a formal statement to the police. He said he shot the third person - the one allegedly carrying a knobkerrie - but this one managed to flee with the rest of the members of the Luyengweni delegation.

“I fired one bullet in the air but he continued to charge towards me which was when I shot the hand that was carrying the knobkerrie,” he alleged.

He said the gun that was allegedly carried by Shongwe fell to the ground and he took it with him to the police station where he reportedly rushed to immediately after the shooting.

Dlamini said what incensed him was that the people of Luyengweni were aware of the decision by Their Majesties that the land of Mhlabubovu belonged to the LaMgabhi Chiefdom.

He said the matter was first decided in 1947 by His Majesty King Sobhuza II and also by His Majesty King Mswati III on three other occasions, the last one being in 2016.

This was confirmed by Ludzidzini Acting Governor Lusendvo Fakudze, who said there should be no dispute over the land.

“King Sobhuza II ruled that Mhlabubovu is under LaMgabhi. But the problem has been the Luyengweni chiefdom, which always claims ownership of the land,” he said.

He said it was his hope that the law would take its course in the latest incident and the people responsible made to answer for their actions. 

On June 24, 2016, this publication reported about a meeting that had taken place at Mhlabubovu Primary School, where members of the King’s advisory body, Liqoqo, informed residents and leaders of both chiefdoms that Chief Ndzimanye was the rightful ruler of the area.

The meeting was attended by the then Manzini Regional Administrator, Prince Gcokoma, and delivering the message from His Majesty the King was Liqoqo Secretary Mandla Dlamini.

Chief Ndzimanye died in 2019 and according to the former minister, before his demise, he (chief) directed him to deal with issues of people who live at Mhlabubovu. Dlamini said there were now about 23 people who had been allocated land at Mhlabubovu by the Luyengweni Inner Council.

“What is painful is that the matter was reported to the Manzini District Commissioner (DC) who never took action,” he complained. 

Dlamini served as LaMgabhi Member of Parliament from 1993 to 1998; was re-elected in 1998 until 2003; took a five-year break after losing the election in 2003; won the elections in 2008 and served as Minister of Public Works and Transport until 2013.

The minister then quit politics and took up studies at the University of Eswatini, where he is studying law. He is also pursuing business interests, especially in farming and retail, where he appears to be doing quite well.

Dlamini’s political career will always be remembered for an incident where he chewed and swallowed a piece of paper in Parliament in the presence of the then Prime Minister, Sibusiso Barnabas Dlamini. The incident happened in the 1998 – 2003 parliamentary term, when Dlamini was still a backbencher in the House of Assembly, while Barnabas was serving his first stint as PM.

Apparently, Dlamini had inscribed something unsavoury on the paper and, when he was asked by the Speaker to hand the paper forward, he instead chewed and swallowed it.

At the time, Dlamini was a vocal backbencher along with former colleagues Sandlane Zwane and the late Majahebutimba Dlamini.

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