2 FORCED TO INGEST WEEVIL TABLETS, ONE DIES

SIGANGENI- They were made to choose between dying through ingesting weevil tablets or being shot.

This is the story of two men accused of being members of a 20-member gang at Sigangeni, who were each made to ingest two weevil tablets by angry members of the community. The incident is said to have happened on Saturday. One of them, who was accused of being the leader of the gang called Emaphara, Ncedo Dlamini (23), succumbed to the effects of the weevil tablets and died on the spot, while his friend Thembinkosi Mamba (25), is currently fighting for his life at the Mbabane Government Hospital. The two are accused of having caused a reign of terror in the small community, which is situated on the outskirts of Mbabane. They, among other things, are accused of stealing goats, housebreaking and attacking community members using dangerous weapons. It was gathered that the deceased’s mother, Thembi Mnisi, reported that her son was assaulted and further forced to consume weevil tablets by the mob.

Assaulted

Meanwhile, Mamba’s uncle, Bongani Shongwe, also reported that his nephew was assaulted and further forced to ingest the weevil tablets. During a visit to the rural area yesterday, there was a meeting convened by community members to discuss the issue. They were later joined by police officers. According to Sigangeni Headman Charles Mhlanga, the issue emanated from the fact that the community was affected by rampant criminal activities involving stock theft, housebreaking and robberies. “On Saturday, we got wind that the youth of the area were planning an attack on the suspects. As elders of the community, we resolved to hold a meeting to warn the angry residents against preceeding with their plan,” Mhlanga narrated.
He said the community members were indeed called and warned against taking the law into their own hands. The headman highlighted that it seemed as though the community members had heard the warnings of the elders, but they fell on deaf ears.

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