MBABANE - The recent arrest of the three men, who have been charged with terrorism, allegedly quelled an operation to attack four MPs and disrupt the ongoing EBC civic voter education exercise.
On Thursday evening, the police arrested the three men, including the son of former Siphofaneni MP Mduduzi ‘Gawuzela’ Simelane, Zweli Brian Simelane. The others were Economic Freedom Fighters Swaziland member Siphosethu Malinga and Swaziland Liberation Movement (SWALIMO) member Mxolisi Simelane. According to an impeccable source, one of the men was arrested along the borderline by soldiers, who found him in possession of a firearm.
Interrogation
After the soldiers handed him over to the police, during interrogation, he allegedly revealed the plot to attack the Members of Parliament (MPs) and further disrupt the ongoing civic voter education exercise being conducted by the Elections and Boundaries Commission (EBC). He is also alleged to have revealed the identity of their handler or the person who had sanctioned the operation. The man, who was later to make disclosures to the investigators, was arrested at Lundzi on his way to Eswatini. Lundzi is located close to the border with South Africa, 25 kilometres west of the capital city, Mbabane. It is alleged that during interrogation by the law enforcement agents, he further disclosed how the plan was to be carried out. The insider alleged, the man also divulged that he was in constant communication with others who were part of the operation who were in Eswatini.
“He disclosed that the targeted MPs were those who were seen not to be supporting the call for democratic reforms. During the interrogation, he also revealed how with others, they previously attacked a police post and how they staged other operations, which saw the shooting of law enforcement agents, among others and burning of certain institutions,” alleged the source. Through their intelligence, the police, according to the impeccable source, then traced and located some of the people who were part of the plan. During the arrest, it was reported that one of the men was found in possession of a number of cellphones, which were suspected to have been taken from some of the members of the underground forces during their training.
It was previously reported that one of the alleged members of the Swaziland International Solidarity Forces, upon arrest revealed to the investigators that during their training in the Republic of South Africa, their cellphones were taken by a person whom they referred to as the commander so that they did not communicate or share information with anyone. The commander was later unveiled to be Thabo Kunene, a former senior police officer. Notably Malinga, who was a pupil at Mhubhe High School, was out on bail during his arrest, after he was found in possession of a slingshot during the unrest in 2021. The trio is expected to make its maiden appearance at the High Court this week, where the number of charges they are facing would be disclosed in an indictment to be presented by the prosecution. The arrest of the trio brings the number of those arrested and charged under the Suppression of Terrorism Act to eight. Others are Musa Clement Kunene and Msindiso Ntshalintshali.
The pair was allegedly found in possession of two grenades, 20 live rounds of ammunition and an Umbutfo Eswatini Defence Force (UEDF) pair of trousers. Kunene and Ntshalintshali were arrested by members of the Royal Eswatini Police Service (REPS) on November 8, 2022 at Mbhuleni, Matsapha. Another case, wherein the accused are charged under the Suppression of Terrorism Act, is that of the three men who are alleged to have killed members of the security forces. The accused in this matter are; Ncamiso Mabuyakhulu, who is a member of the Swaziland Youth Congress (SWAYOCO), Philani Sihlongonyane, a member of the Swaziland Liberation Movement (SWALIMO) and their co-accused, German Robert Dlamini, whose political home is uncertain. They are facing 29 counts under the Suppression of Terrorism Act. Three men who are accused of burning the Ngudzeni Inkhundla centre were also slapped with a charge of terrorism. These are Bongani Goodman Mamba, Bongumusa Kenneth Kunene and Sibongiseni Hoshoba Shongwe.
Charged
A number of the accused persons who had been charged under the Act are facing over 38 charges emanating from the different incidents where either property was burnt or there was a loss of life. Mostly, a number of the incidents are where members of the law enforcement agencies were killed. In most of the cases, the prosecution had filed indictments, which is an indication that it was ready to prosecute them. Chief Police Information and Communications Officer Superintendent Phindile Vilakati declined to be drawn to comment about the matter, stating that it was still under investigations. However, she confirmed that the trio would appear at the High Court today.
