MOB BRUTALLY ASSAULTS SUSPECT CAUGHT SLAUGHTERING COW

NYAKENI – Nyakeni residents took justice into their own hands, brutally assaulting a suspect, after he was reportedly found slaughtering a cow valued at E20 000.

The cow was said to have been straying in a nearby grazing area at night, when four men allegedly captured it, tied it to a tree and allegedly slaughtered it under the cover of darkness on Thursday night. The alleged thieves purportedly planned to sell the cow for a mere E6 000. The alleged suspect was apprehended, while his three alleged accomplices fled upon the arrival of community police members who responded to reports of suspicious activity in the bush.

Significant

Livestock theft is a significant issue in Eswatini, with some suspects reportedly assaulted to death by residents. This year, the Royal Eswatini Police Service (REPS) has reported a troubling rise in stock theft, estimating that E6 520 420 worth of livestock was stolen between April and June 2024. The total includes 582 cattle and 743 goats. Despite intensified efforts, only E1 476 300-worth of livestock has been recovered, highlighting the challenges faced in combating this growing crime of cattle rustling. Yesterday morning, this publication went to Nyakeni and was led to a bushy area, where an angry mob of over 40 residents had gathered.Few cars were parked including those of police officers conducting their investigations. Furious residents were seen assaulting a man with sticks and  sjamboks, as well as kicks, while he sat next to a large cow carcass, its head and intestines scattered on the ground.

Interrogating

Residents expressed their fury, interrogating the man about the theft. A local resident reported that a child approached her around midnight, informing her that she had seen some people using torches in a nearby bush. She stated that she immediately called a community police member to raise the alarm, and they subsequently went to the scene to investigate. Senior Superintendent Phindile Vilakati, Chief Police Information and Communications Officer, confirmed an incident in which a livestock thief suspect was assaulted by community members at Nyakeni after allegedly being found with a cow carcass. She noted that the suspect later handed himself over to the police.

Unique

This incident is not unique, as in May, our sister publication, the Times of Eswatini, reported that a mob of about 60 residents at Lomahasha assaulted and killed a 51-year-old man on suspicion of being a cattle rustler, while his accomplices fled to Mozambique. The incident occurred at Ebhandini under Lomahasha Umphakatsi on a Monday morning. Reports indicated that the mob broke down the door of the deceased’s house and assaulted him severely.

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