COMMUNITY POLICE IMPLICATED IN KILLING

HLUTSE - Some community police members of Hlutse are allegedly implicated in a case of a man who died after a through beating.

According to a source close to the matter, the incident took place last Wednesday night and the man died while nursing his injuries on Sunday night at Hlutse in the Lubombo Region.
The source alleged that the man, who was a murder suspect, purportedly had an argument with a close relative and he reportedly started breaking some windows, supposedly out of anger.

Emergency

He said the relative called community police members and the Royal Eswatini Police Service (REPS) officers, through their toll free emergency line 999. The source said police from Siphofaneni Police Station went to the home and took the man into their custody, but he was later released after his relative did not lay charges against him. “The relative told the police that she cannot open a case against him because the court might send him to jail as he was out on bail for a murder, which he allegedly committed in 2019,” the source claimed. While at home, the source claimed that some community police members came with community residents (about 15 in total) and when they tried to address the matter, an argument ensued. As a result, the source alleged that the community police, together with the residents, assaulted him heavily. Mainly, he said they used sticks and sjamboks. However, he highlighted that others kicked him while he was lying on the ground. “He bled profusely and was rushed to hospital. Later on, he said the man was discharged and he died on Sunday night while he was still nursing the injuries,” the source said. This publication visited his home yesterday and the elders who were found at the homestead said they were not ready to talk to the media about the matter. They asked to be contacted later in the week.

Comment

Some of the community police members who are allegedly implicated in the matter asked not to comment for now. Others, who were found discussing the matter, claimed that the deceased was a down to earth person, who liked to joke around. However, they highlighted that his character would change after he imbibed alcoholic beverages as he would become violent. They added that they believe that the people who assaulted him did not have intentions to kill him, but to bring him to order. On the other hand, Chief Police Information and Communications Officer Superintendent Phindile Vilakati, said the police attended the matter after they got a signal from their toll free emergency line 999. She said the police took the man to the police station and waited for his relative to say if a case would be opened against him or she would ask them to talk with him. She said the relative asked not to lay any charges against him and he was released. She said they recently got a report that the man had died. She said so far, the matter had been recorded as a sudden death, but she highlighted that the police were still investigating it.

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