HELP! UEDF MEMBERS HARASSING US - ELDERLY COUPLE

MBABANE – “Help!”

An elderly couple has decried being allegedly harassed by members of the Umbutfo Eswatini Defence Force (UEDF), who are in search of their son, who was purportedly involved in the recent pro-democracy protests that culminated in violence and left shops looted and burnt. Thuli (65) and Sarah Dladla (71), a couple residing at Msunduza, have claimed that since the protests which took place two weeks ago, soldiers have been visiting their home, demanding them to reveal the whereabouts of their son, Tjovitjo. The couple claimed that their son was allegedly part of a protest march that took place at Msunduza on June 29, which suddenly turned violent. Worth noting is that the country was marred by violent protests which culminated in businesses and offices being vandalised and looted, while some members of the public were injured and killed.

Soldiers

The couple alleged that they were visited by a group of six soldiers on different days. Tjovitjo, as he is popularly known, lives with his parents at Msunduza. However, since the night of the protest, his parents said he had not returned home. According to Thuli, there were some pictures that were taken of his son wearing camouflage clothing. “The protest suddenly turned violent and some people took chances and began to loot and burn some shops,” he said. The elderly man narrated that on that night, him and his wife were watching from their house. He alleged that he had heard that the looters were residents of Mgababa, an area near Msunduza location. “Our challenge now is that we are being visited by armed soldiers, each day since the protests began, in the wee hours and night, searching for our son,” he alleged.

The elderly man claimed that the soldiers told him and his wife that their son was involved in the looting and burning of the shops in the area. He claimed that the soldiers asked why the couple hid their son and further demanded his pictures from them.
“We told them that there were no pictures but the only ones he has are those of his passport and identity card, which he keeps with him,” Thuli said. He alleged the soldiers last paid a visit to them on Thursday last week. When asked if he was certain that his son was not part of the looters and vandals, Thuli said from what he gathered from those who were protesting, their son was only involved in singing along the streets. “Bayasho kutsi etitolo bekasuke angekho,” the elderly man said, which means, “The protestors tell me that he was not at the shops when the looting began.”

Thuli claimed that even most police officers in Mbabane knew their son and even attested that he was not part of the looters. The elderly man reiterated his concern in that the soldiers constantly made the unfriendly visits, in the absence of police officers, who were known to be responsible for investigations.

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