‘BIRDS’ FANS CITED IN SODV CASE

MBABANE –   “Mbabane Swallows fans assaulted me after my cousin fell on the ground and became unconscious.”

Those were Bongani Shadrack Matsebula’s words while stating the reasons for him assaulting his cousin while at the Somhlolo National Stadium. The 42-year-old man originally from Manzini is alleged to have pushed his cousin and further kicked him severally times in the head. Matsebula was formally charged under the Sexual Offences and Domestic Violence (SODV) Act No.15 of 2018.

contravened

He is said to have contravened Section 77 (1) (a) of the said Act. The assault is said to have occurred on March 10, 2024. When appearing before Principal Magistrate Fikile Nhlabatsi, his right to legal representation was explained to him by the Crown and he elected to conduct his own defence. The convict told the court that he had been having the misunderstanding with his cousin for close to 10 years, and thus he ended up assaulting him on the said date.

Contention

He revealed the bone of contention before court after Nhlabatsi had asked him the reasons for assaulting the complainant while at the stadium. “This is a long story. The complainant once came with his friend to my house and told me to vacate it since his father was the new owner of the house. “I did not comply with the complainant’s order,” said the convict. He said months later, his cousin came back with his friend and forced him out of the house. He said: “My cousin together with his friend came to my house and started assaulting me with a bush knife. “I sustained injuries to the head. I did not seek any medical help because I was scared,” said the convict. While at the Somhlolo National Stadium, the accused person told the court that the complainant provoked him by uttering degrading words. He said: “My cousin shouted at me, wanting to know why I was rubbernecking at him. I tried to ignore him by enjoying my beer but failed. I then hit him with a fist in the face resulting in him hitting against the iron material. “He then fell to the ground and became unconscious,” he explained.

Shocked

The convict said while still shocked to see his cousin lying helplessly on the ground, Mbabane Swallows supporters came and started assaulting him for such an offence. In mitigation on the sentence, he pleaded for the court’s leniency with him since he had recently lost his only brother. He said he needed more time to be with his family while making arrangements for his brother’s burial. The court sentenced him to two years in prison or to pay a fine of E5 000.

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