PREGNANT LOOTING SUSPECT, OTHERS IN JAIL 7 DAYS

MBABANE – Eighteen alleged looters, who were arrested in Matsapha, have been languishing in jail for seven days now.

They were reportedly not afforded an opportunity to apply for bail when they made their first court appearance at Sigodvweni Circuit Court last Tuesday. The accused persons have been jointly charged with housebreaking and theft and some moved an urgent bail application at the High Court. It is alleged that the accused, among other shops, entered Matsapha Need a Part where they allegedly looted. One of the accused persons, Siphiwo Mondlane, who is pregnant, was yesterday admitted to E500 bail by Judge Titus Mlangeni. This, after her lawyer Dumisani Hleta moved an urgent bail application.

In her bail application, Mondlane informed the court that on June 29, 2021, while she was from Medicins San Frontieres Clinic in Matsapha Industrial Site to do her routine pre-natal check-up, along Mathangeni, she was arrested with 17 others who were unknown to her. “I hasten to make mention that I was home- bound from the aforesaid clinic during the time of my arrest and I happened to stumble upon police officers who were conducting a ‘seen on sight’  arrest exercise along the Mathangeni – Police College Public Road,” submitted Mondlane. The accused submitted that like a sheep to the slaughter, she also approached the police trap and was arrested in spite of the fact that she allegedly had no palpable goods in her possession.

She averred that the only thing that was in her possession was her pre-natal medical card, which got lost when she was arrested. “I humble submit that a plain-clothes police officer upon discovering that I had nothing in my possession ordered me to enter the looted Matsapha Home Collection Shop and ‘steal’ an item so that he can charge me with housebreaking. I refused to take heed of the officer’s instruction and there and then two male co-accused were shot by the plain-clothes police officers,” alleged Mondlane.

Fear

She told the court that in fear for her life, she had no alternative but to heed the police officer’s instruction and ‘stole’ an item from Matsapha Home Collection Shop. The accused further informed the court that she and 15 of her co- accused were then loaded into a police van and transported to Sigodvweni Police Station, while the other two who were injured were taken to hospital. She alleged that at the Sigodvweni Police Station, she informed the arresting officer that she had lost her pre-natal medical card and he (police officer) drove her to Medicins Sans Frontieres to do another medical card. According Mondlane, like a duck to water, the police officer then locked her into a holding cell while awaiting her day in court. “On June 30, 2021, the 16 of us appeared before a lady magistrate at Sigodvweni Circuit Court. When our matter was called we took the stand in a haphazard fashion, no charges were read to us, our rights were not explained to us and we were not given an opportunity to enter any plea as there was no charge. The magistrate only ordered us to come back for remand appearance on July 8, 2021. Another matter was called and we were instructed to leave the stand,” submitted Mondlane.

Post your comment

Your name:

Your e-mail address:

Add your comments:

Please enter the code you see in the image:

Image:

Code: