WOULD NATCOM BE HAPPY WITH THIS SCANTY REPORT?’

MATSAPHA – Lawyer Mangaliso Nkomondze wondered if Detective Inspector Vincent Mbingo expected the National Commissioner of Police, William Dlamini, to accept his allegedly scanty report.

Initially, the lawyer had asked the witness if he would agree that it was imperative for him, as an expert, to explain how the hole in the car was caused, given that he had reached a conclusion that it was not a bullet hole. He said just to explain the pressure of the object that caused the hole. In response, the witness submitted that the conclusion he wrote was enough, but if need be, he would explain verbally. The lawyer then asked him if he knew from the onset that he would be required to give evidence about the report and in response he claimed that he did not know.

Thereafter, the lawyer asked if he omitted the material information in his report without knowing when he would be required to give clarity. However, he alleged that he did not omit anything because what was expected of him, was allegedly in the report, but mentioned that there were only few points that he could be needed to explain. The witness added that he did not write the issue about the pressure of the object which could have caused the hole in the car because he did not know the gravity of the vehicle when it rolled. Again, the lawyer told the witness that he submitted to the coroner that he saw a white striation near the bullet hole in the rear bumper of the car and he allegedly assumed that it (bumper) hit the ground while the vehicle was rolling, thus the bolt pierced through it. The witness confirmed  making the submission.

Bolt

Nkomondze then asked him why he did not include this information in the report in order to confirm that it was not a bullet hole. In response, Mbingo submitted that he stated in his report that the hole in the car was caused by a bolt. He added that he also stated that hole was from outside-inward direction and that the bolt consistently pointed to the hole when he moved back and forth. He also mentioned that the report stated that the bolt had fibres of the bumper of the car. Thereafter, the lawyer asked the witness if he did not find it important to explain the white striation in his report. In response, he submitted that he did not find it important because it was outside his field. “Are you saying the NATCOM should be happy with this scanty report?” the lawyer asked and in response the witness responded to the positive. “Yes, besides if he (NATCOM) will need more explanation,” the witness responded.  

Thabani is the 25-year-old man who went missing on the night of Saturday May 8, 2021 after the car, a Mazda II Demio, which he was driving, was involved in a road traffic accident at Nhlambeni, along the Mhlaleni/Nhlangano Public Road. After the accident, his body was not located. It was eventually discovered five days later, on May 13, 2021 and it was about 20 metres from where the car was found. The delay in the discovery of Thabani’s body raised questions which resulted in the #JusticeForThabani movement, whereupon members of the public demanded answers from the police. Thereafter, the acting Prime Minister (PM), Themba Masuku, appointed a Coroner, Senior Magistrate Nonhlanhla Dlamini to lead an inquest into the death of Thabani, who was a Law student at the University of Eswatini (UNESWA).

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