THABANI MARCH: BYSTANDER SHOT IN EYE, IN ICU

MANZINI - The police stand accused of shooting a bystander, allegedly at close range, during Monday’s violent clash with protesters who had taken part in the #JusticeforThabani (Nkomonye) march.

On Monday afternoon in Manzini near the Nazarene traffic lights, Phiwayinkosi Dlamini (27), a University of Eswatini (UNESWA) graduate, was caught in the crossfire during the violent clash between the marchers and law enforcers. According to sources within his family, Phiwayinkosi is not a student as it had been purported by others, in particular on social media, but a UNESWA graduate, who was employed in the agriculture industry as an animal health scientist for the past five years. During the incident, the marchers had just delivered their petition to the Matsapha Police Station when violence erupted near the Nazarene traffic lights, while they were on their way to the Manzini Police Regional Headquarters where they were going to deliver another petition. Both petitions were addressed to the National Commissioner of Police William Tsitsibala Dlamini.

Motorists

According to a source close to the matter, he alleged that Phiwayinkosi was among the motorists who were stuck in the traffic jam that was caused by the protesters who were marching along the MR3 Public Road.
As a result of the traffic jam, the source alleged that like other motorists, Phiwayinkosi alighted from his car to observe what was happening. Unfortunately for him, the source alleged that while he was still waiting for the traffic to clear, the marchers clashed with the police officers and violence erupted. In the process, the source alleged that while police were dispersing the protesters by firing rubber bullets at them, one of the bullets strayed and hit Phiwayinkosi in his right eye.

After being injured, the source purported that an ambulance was called to rush him to hospital, where he is still being attended to by medical practitioners at the intensive care unit (ICU).  This was confirmed by Phiwayinkosi’s family (Dlaminis) in a statement, where they said he was a bystander and a motorist waiting for traffic to clear when the incident took place. They added that he was not part of the marchers, but was on a work errand when the unfortunate incident befell him. “He is not a student, but a UNESWA graduate,” the Dlaminis said in the statement. In that regard, they said they were devastated as a family by the incident. They said this was because Phiwayinkosi, their son, uncle, brother and friend had to get medical care, which included an operation. “At this moment, as a family we will prioritise supporting him,” reads part of the statement.
 However, they mentioned that they would be happy to engage extensively on the matter once he had gone through the preliminary medical processes.

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