MECHANIC SHOOTING: TWO MEN STABBED, COPS NO-SHOW

Mbabane – Two townships at Mbabane East are now at loggerheads over the death of a man who was gunned down at Gobholo last week Monday.

On Saturday, a  mob from Gobholo reportedly  went to Mgababa in Msunduza and assaulted two men, after residents of the area (Mgababa) were accused of celebrating the death of Sifiso Mtshali, who was allegedly gunned down by Mfundo Mabaso last week Monday after a long-standing dispute between them including an issue involving a woman. Following the  incident, a house belonging to the suspect, who is a motor mechanic, was torched by unknown people in the early hours of Saturday mornimg. Also burnt down were cars that were parked within the premises of the suspect’s home, some  of which reportedly belonged to his customers. In the latest occurrence that has sparked division among the  two neighbourhoods, a group of men from Gobholo under Mbabane East Inkhundla are said to have stormed Mgababa, which is situated under the same inkhundla, and allegedly assaulted people who were sitting and enjoying alcoholic beverages near a local bottle store.

According to an impeccable source, the  bone of contention was that the mob from Gobholo were informed that people from Mgababa and surrounding areas were actually celebrating the death of Mtshali. Two men, Philiswa Phiri and another identified as Mshengu, were heavily assaulted by the mob of about 25 men who were travelling in a van. According to Mshengu, who was stabbed three times in the back and hacked with a bush knife on the head, he was with his friend Phiri when the vehicle the mob was travelling in stopped near them at around 1pm. He said they were carrying weapons such as bush knifes, knifes, tomahawks and knobkerries, and when they alighted from the vehicle, they headed straight to them. “We were puzzled to the point that when we thought of running away it was already too late. I was stabbed three times in the back and one of them hacked me on the head with a bush knife. We were three in total but one managed to escape before being hurt,” he said.

Mshengu said he then went to the Mbabane Police Station where he was given a document that would give medical practioners the green light to attend to him at the Mbabane Government Hospital where he was assisted. Phiri, who sustained an injury on the arm after being hacked with a bush knife, said there was no way they could celebrate the death of a person, even if that person was their enemy. He said every Monday they gathered at the local bottle store to enjoy alcoholic beverages and the mood was always jolly. “I think they must have assumed our get-together was meant  to celebrate the death of Mtshali, which is devoid of the truth,” he narrated.

Phiri said what made the situation worse was that police were informed but did not show up. “Police should intervene in this matter otherwise it won’t end well because we will also take matters into our hands and retaliate if something is not done to calm the situation,” he said. It was previously reported that some police officers were  reluctant to attend to reports,  following the shooting and killing of the Royal Eswatini Police Service (REPS) members by unknown people when attending to crime or accident calls recently. Chief Police Information and Communications Officer Superintended Phindile Vilakati confirmed the incident. She said no one had been arrested yet.

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