ASSAULTED FOR NOT SUPPORTING CALL FOR CHANGE

NHLANGANO - KuMethula Indvuna Yenkhundla is lucky to be alive after he was assaulted last Thursday, allegedly for not supporting the call for change in the country.

This happened around 6:30pm when the Indvuna, Benjamin Zondo, was on his way home.  In an interview with Zondo, he said he was driving his car when he found the road blocked with rocks at KuMethula area. He said he knew that there were illegal toll gates in the area and every motorist was made to pay.
He said when he arrived at the toll gate, he was attended by someone who he did not pay attention to as it was dark. “I just gave him E50 and as I was expecting him to remove the rocks, a group of about 20 people came out of the bushes and started throwing stones at the car,” narrated Zondo.

Relative

He said he was in a car with a relative who was also not spared from the attack with stones. Zondo said his car was pelted with stones such that all window were left broken. He mentioned that he knew the people were intentionally beating him when they started telling him that he was not supporting the call for political reforms in the constituency and that he was in favour of the Tinkhundla System of Government. Zondo was assaulted with stones and one hit him on the forehead and as a result, he bled. According to him, this affected his sight and on top of that, the blood was flowing into his eyes hence he could not identify anyone.

He said the mob was saying all sorts of things about how he was not supportive and did not bother attending their meetings. Zondo said it was until one of then saw that he was seriously injured that he was allowed to go. “I drove straight to Hlatikhulu and along the way; I passed the police as I had called the MP to try talk to the mob. He is the one who raised the alarm to the police,” he added.

Zondo went to the Hlatikhulu Police Station where he got a clearance to be attended to in hospital and did not open a case. It was established that Zondo was eventually admitted to The Luke Commission, where he is still receiving medical care. When asked about allegations that healthcare workers refused to attend to him at Hlatikhulu, Zondo said he was turned back at the gate by a security guard, who told him that nurses were on strike.  In fact, he said the security guard called a sister nurse who advised that Zondo should seek medical help elsewhere as nurses were not working. 

“It had nothing to do with how I was injured,” narrated Zondo. The indvuna said he was now living in fear as he did not know who his enemies were following the attack.  He said he was one of the people who wanted change in the country, but that it should be done by following the law. The indvuna said he was against violence but was for the idea of dialogue hence he was not visible in violent places. Zondo said he believed his only sin was that he did not attend a meeting and was also not supportive financially.

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