KING’S PAPER ON POLICE BRUTALITY

The Swaziland newspaper in effect owned by King Mswati III has accused the king’s police force of ‘brutality’.

The Swazi Observer reported the police shot a suspect six times even though he was handcuffed.

Ndumiso Ngandla Simelane may lose a leg as a result of the atrocity.

The Observer reported, ‘police brutality was at play when a 34-year old handcuffed housebreaking suspect was shot six times’.

The Observer says that Simelane was trying to escape from ‘a trigger-happy police officer’ when he was shot because he feared being tortured by them.

In an interview with the newspaper Simelane said ‘police officers locked him in an office (handcuffed) and displayed “tools” they use (torture) when they want to extract the truth from a stubborn suspect.

‘“It was just after 11am when the police officers came at my workshop and handcuffed me. They also ransacked my business where they took some items such as cell phones that were brought for repairs by my clients. I tried to reason with them that I was not aware of the offence they claimed I was linked to. They never wanted to listen and kept on telling me that I was on their wanted list.”

He told the Observer that the police said he should be ready to cooperate if he still wanted to see the next day.

The newspaper reported, ‘He said he was shown, among other things, a gigantic plastic bag, a rope as well as a tube which the police said were “tools” to be used in making him cooperate.'

Simelane said he was then left in one of the offices at the police post where one of the officers told him they were going out for lunch.

‘“This was the last straw. As they left me alone in the office I managed to sneak out still handcuffed. I could not bear the thought of being tortured. I felt the safest option was to flee,” said Simelane.

‘Simelane said having been warned what would happen to him; he decided to come out of the building where he had been left handcuffed.

‘“I decided to come out of the building and it was while I was outside the gate when the two police officers were alerted by other women seated at the verandah. They apprehended me just by the gate. I heard the sound of the gun and fell to the ground,” said Simelane.

‘“Still with my hands handcuffed on the back, I picked myself from the ground and pleaded for their mercy. It was not given as one of them pulled out his revolver and started shooting. I was shot six times as you can see,” he added, pointing to the gunshot wounds on both legs.

‘He said he was then rushed to the Hlatikulu Government Hospital. He said given the serious injuries he sustained as a result of the bullets, chances were that he may be crippled for the rest of his life.’

This is not the first case where police in Swaziland have been trigger happy. To read more click here.

PHONE SWAZI POLICE TO COMPLAIN

Senior Superintendent Paul Ngubane, Hhohho Regional Commander of the Royal Swaziland Police, has asked people who are not happy with the service given to them by the police to call him directly.

His number is 606 2320. The country code for Swaziland is 268.

Please don’t all call at once.

POLICE SHOOT SURRENDERING MAN

Swazi police shot a man in cold blood as he was trying to surrender to them.

Not for the first time the Swaziland police have shown their willingness to shoot and ask questions later.

This time the victim, Mncedisi Mamba, did not die (but that was more by luck than the judgement of the police).

The mother of the man, Thoko Gamedze, said Mamba had his hands up and was surrendering to police, but they shot him anyway.

She said he was not running away nor was he fighting. She said, ‘All the bullets were shot from the front, this shows that the police were just out to hurt, not to arrest him.’

She added, ‘He was not armed and he raised his hands to show that he was not fighting nor running away from the police but willing to cooperate.’

Mamba was badly injured and may lose a leg. He is now in Raleigh Fitkin Memorial under heavy police guard. Mamba was wanted by police on robbery charges.

Swazi police have been criticised recently for having an unofficial ‘shoot to kill’ policy.

They have also been involved in a number of heavy-handed attacks on members of the public, including shooting near school children.

The police have also been firing at protesting students, and textile workers who were on a legitimate strike and beating protest marchers.

SWAZILAND POLICE ‘SHOOT STUDENTS’

Swaziland Police are reported to have fired bullets at protesting university students, injuring two of them.

They deny this and say they ‘only’ fired teargas.

The incident happened (or didn’t depending on who’s telling the truth) as students from the University of Swaziland (UNISWA) attempted to march through the kingdom’s capital, Mbabane, to demand an increase in allowances.

The Times of Swaziland, the kingdom’s only independent daily newspaper reports that police stopped buses carrying students and denied them access to the city because the buses had no permits. The students were on their way to the Ministry of Labour and Social Security.

The Times reports, ‘Teargas canisters were fired to disperse the groups and some students were assaulted in the process of denying them access to visit the ministry.’

The Times goes on, ‘It is also alleged that gunshots were fired leaving at least two students injured. However, the police denied this save for firing teargas canisters to disperse them.’

Students are boycotting classes and the university has closed indefinitely.

SWAZI GUN COPS ENDANGER CHILDREN

Swaziland’s gun-happy police, described recently by one newspaper editor as ‘lunatics’, fired pistols into the air endangering the lives of primary school pupils nearby.

The police were trying to question a man who they saw among a crowd of children and their parents and teachers. Taking no account of the danger the police fired shots into the air, causing widespread panic.

The incident happened yesterday (26 January 2010) at Mqolo Primary School in Swaziland’s capital, Mbabane, shortly after the morning assembly had dispersed. Three police officers are reported to have invaded the school yard. The suspect ran away through the crowd of parents, teachers and pupils.

The police fired several warning shots in the air but the man escaped.

The Swazi Observer, the newspaper in effect owned by King Mswati III, sub-Saharan Africa’s last absolute monarch, reported, ‘Terrified parents and teachers were all over the place searching for the children who were now all over the place after the shots had been fired.’

The school principal, Archie Thwala, had to call the pupils to the assembly where it was confirmed that none had been hurt in the process.

Thwala said, ‘I am not sure whether all the children will come to school tomorrow, especially the first graders who are starting school for the very first time.

‘They may think school is a dangerous place to be in, after their ordeal with the police and thug.’