PM, WIDOW AT LOGGERHEADS

BHUDLA - A 36-year-old widow has been forced out of a home she sold to Prime Minister (PM) Sibusiso Barnabas Dlamini exactly a year ago.
Nomsa Nkomo (nee Hlophe) sold the land to Dlamini for E95 000 and the latter paid her in full.

However, Nkomo later demanded E27 000 more, citing her reasons for doing so. The PM refused to accede to this new demand, especially because, as far as he was concerned, the matter had been finalised.
The property in question is on Swazi Nation Land (SNL). It included a piece of land and two small houses.

As custom dictates, the area’s traditional authorities were informed of the entire deal. This effectively meant the widow was no longer the rightful owner as she had voluntarily transferred ownership to Dlamini.
The matter went on for months, with the Prime Minister asking Nkomo to move out and she refusing, demanding to be paid more.
In essence, Nkomo now had the E95 000 and still remained in occupation of the property.

On Wednesday this past week, Dlamini decided that enough was enough and forced Nkomo out of his newly-acquired property.
There was drama as a group of about 12 men, who consisted of armed police officers and government officials from the Ministry of Public Works and Transport, emptied two houses belonging to Nkomo and her family.
The property included furniture and clothes, all of which were loaded onto a government truck and removed from the residence. 

She was then dumped at her parental home in Maseyisini, outside Nhlangano. This place is more than 120 kilometres from KaBhudla, which is near Mafutseni in the Manzini Region.
Before she boarded the government truck, she was warned not to dare set foot at the property in KaBhudla before she was locked out.
This was done amid her protests and claims that she was still being owed E27 000 by the PM.
She claimed that she sold the property for E102 000.

However, she alleged, after negotiations, the PM paid E95 000 for the property consisting of a two-room flat and a rondavel located on Swazi Nation Land.
The PM honoured his part of the deal in March 2013, by paying in full the agreed sum.
An amount of E20 000 allegedly came to the picture after it was discovered that Nkomo’s late husband Jabulani was buried within the compound and therefore, his remains had to be exhumed. For the exhumation process, which was supposed to also include traditional rites, Nkomo charged Dlamini E20 000.

Nkomo told the Times SUNDAY that the PM had promised to pay the fees associated with the relocation of her husband’s remains.
However, early this year, Dlamini allegedly reneged on the arrangement and informed her that he was not going to foot the bill.
Nkomo says Dlamini promised that he would assist her with finding employment. “Therefore, he asked for a discount of E7 000 (from the E102 000) after he promised that he would help me get a job,” Nkomo said.
She says this did not materialise either. She said her eviction came about after she demanded what she believed was due to her. “I wanted Dlamini to stick to the original agreement and I told him that I was not moving an inch from my home until he paid,” she said.
On Wednesday, Nkomo demanded the money first before moving out of the residence.
Her resistance was fruitless, as the contingent of 12 men who swarmed her residence forcefully removed her from the property.
Reporters arrived at the residence at about 11am, in time to witness Hlophe’s property being loaded onto a government truck with a registration number GSD 119 CP.
The police on sight barred reporters from taking pictures of the event.
They were also denied entry into the PM’s new residence. 

After her furniture and other items were removed and loaded onto the truck, Nkomo was locked out of the premises.
The whole process was overseen by Zizwe Mamba, Headman of the KaBhudla chiefdom.
In an interview, both uniformed and plain clothed police said they had come to the residence in the early hours of Wednesday to ensure that there was peace and order.

“We were doing a foot patrol around the community here when we saw many people and cars. We decided to come in and see what was happening,” said one officer.
Meanwhile, Nkomo protested that she was being forced out of her residence against her will.
“I am helpless because the police are here and there is nowhere I can report this incident,” she said before she was rudely asked to board the truck carrying her property by a plain clothed police officer.





 

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