‘MASTER’S OFFICERS SAID THEY DON’T DEAL WITH SIKHWELE’

MBABANE – Officers in the Master of the High Court’s Office allegedly told a former teacher and her daughter that they did not deal with issues of sikhwele.

The former teacher and trade unionist, Simangele Mtetwa, also accused the Master’s Office of being hostile towards her son, who was suffering from depression after the death of his father. Mtetwa appeared before the Judicial Commission of Inquiry yesterday, on its second sitting at the Industrial Court of Appeal. The commission was established to investigate allegations of malpractice in the Master’s Office. Judge Majehenkhaba Dlamini is the Chairperson of the commission. The other members are Judge President Sifiso Nsibande, Judge Mzwandile Fakudze, Judge Maxine Langwenya and Judge Lorraine Hlophe. The first sitting of the commission was last Wednesday. The commission has been given three months within which to conduct the investigation. Mtetwa was the third person to appear before the commission. She appeared together with her daughter, Gugulethu Vilakati.

Mtetwa said she was married to the late businessman Dumisani Mmema, who was the director of Eco Zone, which was an air conditioner installing company. She told the commission that they had one son, Mzwandile, who is also now deceased. Dumisani, according to Mtetwa, wanted only one child and they agreed that she would tie her tubes after the birth of Mzwandile. The former teacher said they both had one daughter from previous relationships when they got married. During the marriage, according to Mtetwa, she advised Dumisani to start his business and he did. She said at the time he was employed at Hoageys (Pty) Ltd. As a teacher, she said she took a loan at SNAT Co-op to provide Dumisani with capital for the business.

Installing

She stated that they divorced after 20 years of marriage and the company was doing well, installing air conditioners all over the country, including at the Marula Festival venues, among others. Dumisani married another woman after some time, said Mtetwa. Mtetwa told the commission that their problems with the Master’s Office started when they attended a next-of-kin meeting at the latter’s offices in Mbabane. She stated that they were informed by officers from the Office of the Master that there only names in the estate file of Dumisani; were Mzwandile, Thembisile (Dumisani’s daughter from a previous relationship) and his new wife, Phumla.

According to Mtetwa, those were the only people the Master’s Office officers said they expected to be at the meeting. She said Mzwandile told them that Phumla was appointed as the executor since she was the surviving spouse of the deceased. Mtetwa, who told the commission that they wanted justice for Mzwandile and Dumisani, submitted that the Master’s Office officers were allegedly hostile towards her son. She alleged that Mzwandile told them that when he informed the officers that the inventory was not complete, he was told that ‘abaketeli kutoteka amacala and he should have discussed that matter with the executor before attending the meeting.

Response

She said when he asked about his father’s cars, which were not included in the inventory; he was allegedly given the same response by the master’s officers. “He told me that he was not being listened to and he was not allowed to say anything. He was devastated by his father’s death. He was even taking medication from the psychiatric centre. “When he returned from the inventory meeting, he was crying and he wanted us to ask from the Master’s Office to assist by appearing with him during the meetings, because he had a mental issue. He was forgetting things,” submitted Mtetwa.

Mtetwa said together with her daughter, Vilakati, they went to the Master’s Office and a male officer attended to them. She alleged that the officer asked how they featured in the estate of the deceased and Vilakati told him that they were requesting to be present during the meetings because Mzwandile was not mentally stable due to severe chronic depression. The sobbing mother said Mzwandile died a depressed man. She alleged that when her daughter told the officer from the Master’s Office that they were requesting to appear together with Mzwandile during the meetings, he said: ‘abayisebenti indzaba yetikhwele.’  Mtetwa said it was her daughter who wanted to appear with Mzwandile in the meetings, not that they wanted to fight jealousy issues in the Master’s Office.

Ordered

The male officer, according to Mtetwa, ordered her and Vilakati out of the office and remained with Mzwandile. She said they sat on a bench outside the office. “When we went out, a female officer entered. They said to him he was a grown man and wondered why he could not speak for himself. They told him to speak as they were listening. “He explained to them that he was suffering from depression and wanted his sister to assist him during the meetings. They said to him they doubted if he could propose love to a woman.” Mtetwa narrated. Mzwandile was knocked down by a car that did not stop after the accident, said Mtetwa. She said he was about to cross the road when the car hit him. The officers are alleged to have told Mtetwa and her daughter to obtain a written explanation from the psychiatric centre, explaining that Mzwandile was not of a stable mind. Mtetwa said they went back and forth as the doctor at the psychiatric centre told them that Mzwandile was issued a card at the psychiatric centre and it should suffice. Mtetwa said the doctor even said” ‘Bayahlanya leka Master’ and he was tired of their issues.

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