By Delisa Thwala
Sipho Mngometulu 36 years old of Thunzini was slapped with a fine of E5000 for harassing a girl he claimed was his girlfriend
Mngometulu was charged with the offence of contravening section 77(1) (e) (f) of the Sexual Offences and Domestic Violence Act 2018.
In that on April 6, 2024, at Emvakwelitje area in the Hhohho region, the said accused person did wrongfully and unlawfully intimidate and harass one Nonhlanhla Sibandze and thus contravened the said Act.
To this, the accused said he had not meant to harass Sibandze but was courting her, being an ex-girlfriend to the accused and assumed they were on the same page, he further said that they were lovers and on the day, they had disagreements.
During mitigation, the accused pleaded for leniency and said he did not know what came over him and that he was sorry
“Bengitsi ngiyasoma. I’m sorry you worship, I’m not a violent person I do not know what came over me. Emotions got the better of me, it will not happen again,” he said.
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He was fined E5000 in default of payment, he is to spend 2 years in prison. On the second count, the accused person was charged with common assault.
In that on the same day of April 6, 2024, at Emvakwelitje area in the Hhohho region, the accused wrongfully and intentionally pushed Nonhlanhla Sibandze and thus contravened the said Act. He was fined E500 or 5 months in prison.
In the same court an accused person Ndabehle Zwane was charged with contempt of court in that from January 2024 up until the end of March 2024, at Mbabane Magistrates Court, in the Hhohho Region, the said accused person unlawfully and intentionally violated the dignity and repute of the Mbabane Magistrate court.
He did this when he failed to contribute the sum of E1000 towards the maintenance of his daughter Elihle Zwane and further failed to contribute the sum of E200 towards the bus fair of said Elihle Zwane,
who is his daughter as he was ordered to do so by the Mbabane Magistrate on June 21, 2023. And did by his failure to comply with the said court order commit the offence as charged.
Another SODV case was that of Sihle Maloma who hit his girlfriend of seven years on the head and face with an iron.
Maloma said he was angered that his girlfriend went gallivanting and drinking spree while their child was left alone.
“I was drunk when this happened your worship, but the reason is that I was heartbroken having to not know where my child was or with,” said Maloma.
He mitigated and said he was a first-time offender, and he was fined E5000 or 2 years in prison.
Principal Magistrate Fikile Nhlabatsi warned the young man to stay away from alcohol together with his girlfriend.
“Stop drinking, this will destroy your home, family, and future because look at the things you do once drunk. You will one day hit a person while intoxicated and they die that is life in jail,” said Nhlabatsi
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Meanwhile, in the same court, a 25-year-old Gcina Dlamini of Qobonga was charged with the offence of malicious injury to property.
Dlamini is said to have on January 13, 2024, at the Qobonga area in the Hhohho region, the said accused person wrongfully and unlawfully intentionally damaged a windscreen and left fender of a motor vehicle registered LSD 828 AS valued at E2990 the property of or in the lawful possession of Lwazi Tfwala.
Dlamini was remanded in custody after his bail was opposed, he is set to come back to court on April 18, 2024.
Meanwhile, a man said to have put up a fight against the court faced Principal Magistrate Fikile Nhlabatsi. Wandile Mhlanga a 34-year-old man from Fonteyn was charged with the offence of contempt of court.
Mhlanga on March 5, 2024, in Mbabane Magistrate Court, in the district of Hhohho wrongfully, unlawfully, and intentionally failed to comply with the Magistrate Court Order while duly warned to do so and thus committed the said offence
Lucky Nhlanhla Dlamini, 31 years of Lobamba area, was charged with the offence of theft by pretences.
It is said that on November 2023 in the Lobamba area in the Hhohho region, the said accused person did wrongfully, unlawfully, and with intent to defraud and steal,
misrepresented to Temangisi Dlamini that he was going to sell her car, a Mazda Demo JSD 312 CM valued at E 25 000.00,
which he eventually did without giving her the money for the said car and thus did thereby commit the said offence. Lucky was granted bail fixed at E1500 as his case continued on July 2, 2024.
The prosecutor pleaded with the court to bring forth evidence and parade witnesses in this during the setting of the trial. He argued that, there were contradictory statements from the accused persons.