KILLED SUSPECTS RELATED, ONE LINKED TO 2 OTHER MURDERS

MBABANE - The two suspects shot dead by the police in connection with the murder of Mbabane socialite Thulani Jomo Nkambule are blood relatives.

The pair are Mbhunu Kwandza Moratele (30) and Mabotho Hlongwane (26). They are both from Gobholo and are said to have been fatally shot while resisting arrest at LaMgabhi, Etiyeni.

The relation between the pair was confirmed by Fikile Lukhele (64) who is the mother of Moratele and the grandmother of Hlongwane.  She said the demise of the pair had left her with a number of questions as information she had received was that Hlongwane was shot while lying on the ground after he had surrendered himself to the police after seeing that Moratele had been shot dead.

Lukhele said the pair had visited her earlier in the day and she had advised them to present themselves to the police as they had arrived at her homestead seeking them.

Threats

However, she said the two refused to heed her advice as they reportedly informed her that they were supposedly informed that threats on their lives were issued by a police officer. “They told me that they will not go to the police as a police officer had informed people that when he sees Moratele, he shall shoot him dead,” she claimed.

The pensioner said the pair was shot in the presence of minors, who subsequent to the shooting of Moratele were assaulted through open slaps and ordered to leave the scene. Her assertion was that the minors saw Hlongwane lying on the ground and not resisting arrest. She supposed that the trauma suffered by the minors had resulted in them failing to sleep throughout the night as they kept crying over what they had seen.

Aside from wondering about the manner in which the duo was shot, Lukhele expressed concern on the failure to be informed that her son and grandson had been shot dead. She said after the witnesses to the shooting relayed the news to her, she, along with family members, went to the mortuary to confirm their demise.

At around 3pm yesterday, Lukhele said police had not reported their demise; however, she had gone to the police station to seek audience with the station commander and establish why Hlongwane had been shot as he had supposedly surrendered himself. Also, she claimed to have given the pair money before they left her compound as they were supposedly in fear of being killed. “I had given Moratele E900 and Mabotha E400 as they said they wanted to leave for their safety (sic),” she said. Lukhele claimed that at the police station, she had asked for the money but received nothing.

Murder

On the other hand, her other grandson aged 20, Banele Bata Magagula, was handed over to the police in connection to a murder committed on Sunday where a 19-year-old man from Siteki was reportedly attacked and stabbed multiple times all over his body by unknown assailants, who then fled the scene without a trace.  It is said that the deceased was rushed to Mbabane Government Hospital, where he died while undergoing treatment.

Subsequent to these allegations by Lukhele, Chief Police Information and Communications Officer Senior Superintendent Phindile Vilakati confirmed that a 20-year-old male was handed over to the police in relation to the murder of a 19-year-old.

Vilakati said the two suspects fatally shot by the police were wanted for four murders combined. She said Moratele was wanted for the murder cases of Nkambule and the attempted murder of Sibongalive Simelane. She said Hlongwane was wanted for three murder cases of Kwanele Mndzebele  where a warrant of arrest was issued in 2022, which was the same year where another was issued against him for the murder of Thembela Mohale and also the murder of the Mbabane socialite - Nkambule. In addition to the three murder cases, Vilakati said Hlongwane was also wanted for the attempted murder of Simelane.

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