MBABANE – A dispute between a tenant and a landlord over a light bulb and an electricity meter card has resulted in the landlord appearing in court for allegedly attacking his tenant with a bush knife.
Maswati Dlamini, a 62-year-old man from Msunduza, appeared at Mbabane Magistrates Court yesterday facing two counts. Both incidents reportedly took place on January 31 at Corinte.
In count one, Dlamini was charged with assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm. It is alleged that Dlamini assaulted his tenant, Xobolwakhe Vilakati, with the flat side of a bush knife before hacking him once on the left arm. In count two, Dlamini was charged with malicious damage to property for allegedly breaking a silver-grey MacBook laptop in Vilakati’s possession. During the court proceedings, Dlamini was informed of his right to legal representation and chose to conduct his own defence. When the charges were read, he pleaded guilty to count one, but pleaded not guilty to count two.
The 26-year-old complainant, Vilakati, took the witness box and stated that he had been Dlamini’s tenant for over a year. He narrated that their conflict began in December 2025 after he had forgotten to switch off a light bulb. Vilakati claimed that Dlamini later confronted him rudely about the issue, leading to an intervention by a community police officer, Mavimbela, to restore peace.
Vilakati told the court that although he had agreed to vacate the premises, he struggled to find alternative accommodation for January. He claimed Dlamini refused to extend his stay, but Mavimbela eventually helped him secure a room nearby.
The court heard that on the night of the incident, at approximately 8pm, Vilakati returned to collect his clothes. One of Dlamini’s children allegedly asked for an electricity meter card, which Vilakati denied having. This prompted an angry Dlamini to confront him. Vilakati testified that despite his offer to let Dlamini search his belongings or pay for a replacement card, Dlamini produced a bush knife hidden under his clothing and attacked him.
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Maswati Dlamini. (Pic: Phumlile Msibi)