AFTER WARDER’S KILLING; SOLIDARITY FORCES UNMASKED

MBABANE – Unmasked!

In a three-minutes 27-seconds live-stream video, the first two faces behind the ‘unknown’ Swaziland International Solidarity Forces (SISF) were revealed by online publication editor Zweli Martin Dlamini. The SISF, a group that has been carrying out terrorist acts around country, was made famous by Dlamini through his online publication, Swaziland News.

Zweli Martin Dlamini has revealed two faces of the members of the Solidarity Forces in a live video streamed on the Swaziland News Facebook page. The newspaper attributed a number of killings perpetrated, mostly, against members of national security forces. Breaking news videos of arson attacks on structures belonging to government and senior officials were posted on the same page. The editor would, time after time, post live audio recordings of an unknown ‘Commander’ of the SISF unit. The identity of the ‘commander’ remained his closely guarded secret except of her gender as she was continuously referred to as ‘the female commander’.

None of the members of the group were revealed before until Thursday. Prior to the interview, Dlamini released a teaser at 10.03am with a caption that read ‘editor Zweli Martin Dlamini to meet, interview Solidarity Forces in the next few minutes. The caption accompanied a picture of Dlamini walking through a thicket in front of what appeared to be an orange coloured wall. The interview was eventually played at 8:33pm after a teaser of him sitting with two members of His Majesty’s Correctional Services (HMCS) was released just before 6pm.

The HMCS officer, who were later revealed by Dlamini as members of the SISF were Wandile Mphumelelo Gina and Bheka Brian Magagula.
Magagula of Nkambeni, an officer based at Pigg’s Peak Correctional Centre, disappeared with a service riffle together with his friend, Phakamani Gravel Magagula of Dvokolwako, an officer at the same station. They both disappeared on the same day in August 29, 2022.

Underground

Since his disappearance, Magagula was perceived to have gone underground to join the SISF, though there was no confirmation until the broadcast by Dlamini. Two police officers, one soldier and one warder were killed between his disappearance in August and now, and all the deaths were attributed to the SISF by Dlamini through his publication. The attribution directly implicates Magagula to the killings by association. Magagula remained silent th- roughout the interview with Dlamini except to constantly smile and make gestures in agreement with his colleague, Gina, who was the centre of attention during the engagement. Dlamini, after introducing Gina during the live-streaming, asked him about the operation undertaken by the SISF at the Correctional Services at Sidwashini.

“Today, we woke up to the news that at Sidwashini Correctional Services there was an operation conducted by the Solidarity Forces whereby a warder eventually died. Gina can you confirm that because we have seen your photos online identifying you as a person of interest in the matter; what can you tell emaSwati about yesterday’s (Wednesday) operation?” he asked. Dlamini’s question was based on a photo released by HMCS on Thursday morning requesting the public to assist them in locating Gina as a person of interest in unlocking the kidnapping and murder case.

Operation

HMCS officer Bheki Mike Mtsetfwa (44) was kidnapped, beaten, and robbed of a service rifle, shot in the head, dumped in a forest and later died while undergoing treatment in hospital.  “Thank you Mlangeni, the operation of yesterday (Wednesday) was very professional, in a unique fashion. I cannot say much about that, what I can say is that may his soul rest in peace,” Gina responded. It was revealed that during the ‘operation’ four men, including Gina proceeded to the gate leading to the prison after parking their motor vehicle at the parking lot. They further requested to enter, claiming that (he) Gina was there to deliver a parcel to the superiors.

Gina confirmed during the interview that he was now a member of the SISF and he did not hide his participation in the kidnapping and subsequent execution of the late warder, Bheki Mike Mtsetfwa. “To be a member of the Solidarity Forces in my understanding is to be ‘livukelambuso’ (a rebel) and to protect the rights of those who are oppressed, then if that is so, I can gladly confirm that I am a member of the Solidarity Forces,” said Gina.
The host, Dlamini, took his time again to announce and inform his viewers that he spoke to the leaders of the solidarity forces and they gave him permission to have the interview with the two officers. All the time Dlamini spoke to Gina, Magagula remained silent and made gestures of agreement to responses made by his colleague. He specifically affirmed Gina’s response to whether there were other officers who wanted to join the SISF and which he responded to the positive.

Queries

“Good question Nkhosi, officers from the defence, police and correctional services have been calling me the whole day and I have even switched of my phone as they have a lot of enquiries about joining the group but I think the operation is still on going and some of the things cannot be disclosed here,” Gina responded. The kidnapping and dumping of Mtsetfwa was confirmed by a security guard who discovered him a remote field around Ngwenya on Thursday morning. The eyewitness said he was not able to speak but could only use sign language to relay what befell him which prompted the guard to call the police toll free line.

Mtsetfwa was shot and dumped at a junction connecting a feeder road and a gravel road leading to one of the forests near the borderline at Oshoek. There was blood at the spot where he was rolling due to excruciating pain. In an interview, with our sister publication Times of Eswatini, the eyewitness said his colleagues actually thought the Mtsetfwa was a mentally challenged person or someone who had been assaulted for a wrongdoing. As a result, he stated that his colleagues suggested that he be left on the scene.

“I then went closer to see if the man was in a uniform and I discovered that he was wearing an HMCS uniform and blood was still oozing from his gunshots wound in his jaw and the chest. Police officers arrived promptly and swiftly took the man to a hospital and I do not know what happened thereafter,” he said. Gugulethu Dlamini, HMCS Public Relations Officer (PRO), also shared that it was not clear as to what actually transpired after Gina, the new SISF member, approached Mtsetfwa, who later went missing from his post.

Parcel

“We were told that the officer at the gate doubted Gina, because of the time he was bringing the supposed parcel to the institution. We were told that he asked Gina, how come he brought the parcel at night, considering the current situation in the country. We learnt that the officer realised that Gina was in the company of three other men, who were wearing coats and had their faces covered with masks when he peeped through the spy window from inside the guardhouse.

“The officer then climbed the steps to see what was really happening. It is believed that the men thought the officer was on his way to raise the alarm when they heard him climbing the stairs to see what was really happening,” she said. The incident happened at about 11:55pm and Gina and his colleagues disappeared with a service rifle which was in the deceased’s possession. Mtsetfwa was on duty when he was kidnapped, assaulted and shot.
Eswatini News  contacted  Chief Police Information and Communications Officer, Superintendent Phindile Vilakati to find out what  measures would be taken by the police after the unmasking of  some  of the members of the solidarity forces.

Vilakati was also asked about the security threat uttered by the AWOL warder Wandile Gina that there are allegedly  some security personnel who are set to join the solidarity forces who are still within the security forces including police. However, the communications officer clarified that she doesn’t discuss security issues with the media. Correctional Services Public Relations Officer, Gugulethu Dlamini when asked the same questions, also said that HMCS is a security entity and it cannot disclose security issues as they were classified.

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