By Bahle Gama
The man who died after a mob attack at Siphocosini is alleged to have been found skinning a goat at a homestead in the area.
Six suspects namely Sandile Petros Bhembe, Justice Mamba, Thokozani Msibi, Mduduzi Dlamini, Ntombikayise Ginindza, and Xolile Shongwe who are also community police were arrested in connection to Majahonkhe Dlamini’s murder.
The accused persons moved their bail applications to the High Court where they were each granted bail at E60,000 and paid E3,000 cash and the rest as surety.
In the application, one of the accused persons, Sandile told the court that on the day in question July 7, 2024, he received a phone call from one of the community members identified as Shabangu.
He was informed that Majahonkhe had been caught red-handed by members of the community after he was found skinning a goat in one of the homesteads.
“Having received the phone call and because I am not the only community police member in our area, I then called my fourth co-accused person Mduduzi Elliot Dlamini who is our senior, and informed him of the information I had received,” he said.
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Mduduzi then instructed Sandile to inform the rest of the community police and subsequently proceed to where Majahonkhe had been found red-handed so that they could hand him over to members of the Royal Eswatini Police Services (REPS).
The suspect told the court that while still on instruction by his colleague, he received another phone call from the Majahonkhe’s brother Jabulani Dlamini who told him to quickly rush to the shops to calm down members of the community who were heavily assaulting the man who later died.
“I called my colleagues and quickly rushed to the shops where on arrival I found him lying on the ground surrounded by a crowd of community members who were still at the time assaulting,” Sandile said.
He further stated that he tried to reason with the crowd to stop assaulting him, however, they were too furious and livid to listen at the time.
His colleagues periodically arrived at the scene, and it was then that they were in a better position to be able to calm the crowd down.
Having noticed that Majahonkhe was running out of breath and profusely bleeding from the assault, they opted to call for help and paramedics arrived 30 minutes later.
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“On arrival, they informed us that it seemed as though Majahonkhe had passed away. As community police in our area, we then took it upon ourselves to proceed to the Mbabane Police Station, take responsibility, and report to them that someone had died,” he told the court.
The police then questioned them about what happened they narrated the chain of events and were informed to leave and expect their phone call.
True to their word, all six were summoned to the police station where upon arrival they were arrested and subsequently charged with murder on July 9, 2024.
The following day, on July 10, 2024, they made their maiden court appearance at the Mbabane Magistrates Court where they were remanded back to custody.
In their applications, they each told the court that they would not be pleading guilty to the charge, further stating that in the event they are granted bail, there is no likelihood of them endangering the safety of the public or any particular person.
They are expected to report to the Mbabane Police Station every last Friday of the month until the matter has been concluded.
