MOB ASSAULTS, KILLS 2 IN ILLEGAL RAIDS

NYAKATFO – Another day, another incident of mob justice!

This time, three people who were accused of posing as police officers and conducting illegal raids, were assaulted by a mob at Siganganyeni around Nyakatfo in northern Hhohho. Two of the three assaulted people died. Some residents are said to have complained about being terrorised by the men in the area. They accused them of targeting certain homesteads and pretending to be police officers on duty to raid, especially for dagga. This time, it is alleged that the men were travelling in a blue Honda Fit. One of them is said to have been wearing a Royal Eswatini Police Service (REPS) tracksuit. It is alleged some of the residents assumed that the men were disguised police officers, to avoid being attacked, as their colleagues were being targeted and killed of late.

Assaulted

It was gathered that none of the assaulted men was a police officer and that the REPS tracksuit may have been obtained from a relative of one of the police imposters. While the men were allegedly carrying out their ‘routine raids’, they were identified and accused by another group of people of having stolen from them. It was then discovered that they were actually not police officers but imposters. Sources said they were interrogated and assaulted by a group of about seven to 10 people. According to the sources, the men were assaulted at a certain homestead. This was revealed by some residents, who said the incident left some community members shocked, but others said they were tired of being robbed. The residents said the men were beaten until they lost consciousness.

When they became unconscious, the members of the mob are said to have assumed that they had died. The sources said they put them into a vehicle and went and dumped their bodies and their vehicle at the nearest highway. Other residents said it was common in the area to be robbed of dagga by people posing as police officers. “The problem with being robbed of your dagga is that you cannot report this anywhere,” said one of the residents. He said as a result, some people took the law into their own hands because even if one could go to the police, they would end up not getting assistance.

He further revealed that it was for that reason that the three men were assaulted. He alleged that it appeared that the mob comprised of both men and women. The assaulted men’s vehicle was not damaged as it was discovered that it belonged to another person who was not part of the three, according to some residents. Some of the motorists who saw the bodies next to the road along the highway near Buhleni are said to have first thought the men lying next to the road had been involved in a car accident. However, after taking a closer look, they discovered that their bodies had been battered. Chief Police Information and Communications Officer Superintendent Phindile Vilakati, confirmed that two men aged 35 and 39 died while undergoing treatment at Mkhuzweni Health Centre.

Admitted

This publication further gathered that the third person had been admitted to hospital due to the injuries he sustained. Meanwhile, some of the residents had mixed reactions to the incident and expressed concern about the high number of incidents of mob justice. In the past two weeks, this publication reported incidents of at least four cases of mob justice. On Monday, this publication reported that a mob around Herefords, also in northern Hhohho, was looking for two people who were accused of stabbing two men in a failed robbery. The stabbed men were admitted to Mkhuzweni Health Centre last Friday and discharged on Saturday.

However, the men who were accused of stabbing them escaped and residents are said to be searching for them. Vilakati had also confirmed that two people were stabbed and that the culprits were still on the run. Last Friday it was reoprted that two people were killed by a mob after they were suspected of being robbers. The incident happened at Lombhiwako around Nsingizini under Hosea Constituency. It is alleged that a male and female died due to injuries they sustained during the assault. On the night of the incident, the deceased male, with five others, had gone to rob a certain man but he called for help. A brother to the man who called for help is then said to have arrived with a bush knife and found his brother being suffocated. He is said to have hacked the intruder but later, a mob of about 150 people joined in. Six people, including the woman who later died, were assaulted by the mob while being questioned on the items they had allegedly stolen.

Stabbed

On Saturday, the Eswatini News reported that a man was stabbed to death by a mob at Nginamadvolo. The deceased was allegedly fetched from his parental home and a few minutes later, he was stabbed to death. The deceased was also accused of having stolen some items, including dagga, but his parents disputed this allegation. The deceased is also said to have disputed this but despite doing so, he was stabbed to death. Sibusiso Nhlabasi, a Human Rights Lawyer, said the incidents of mob justice were a sign that the policing system was failing. He said people had lost confidence in the police because they were allegedly failing to investigate matters. He said the police appeared to be more focused on investigating political incidents.

Nhlabatsi said when police officers spent more time investigating political crimes, they lost focus on the community. He said the police should return to the communities to regain confidence of the people. Other residents said the ongoing turmoil and economic hardships had worsened the situation. They said people were not employed and that they were using various means to generate income. “So, when you steal from them, they react in this manner,” said the residents.

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