SWAZI SOLDIERS 'COMMIT ATROCITY'

Swazi soldiers are said to have pumped five bullets into the body of a man they suspected of smuggling cars.

And they beat the man to a pulp before they opened fire.

The atrocity came to light at the man’s funeral as mourners were refused sight of the body because it was in such a bad state.

Thabiso Fakudze, aged 26, was killed by the soldiers last week (December 2009) for allegedly trying to cross the border of Swaziland and South Africa with a stolen Toyota Quantum kombi.

Fakudze’s family have called on the Royal Swaziland Police to investigate the killing.

Simanga Fakudze, Thabiso’s uncle, said he suspects that he was murdered. He said his body was covered in bruises and also swollen.

Simanga said he went to the scene of the atrocity and interviewed residents who confirmed that his nephew and woman were shot at close range after getting a thorough beating.

Simanga also went to inspect the vehicle and found only one bullet hole, which disproves the claim by the army that the two were fleeing in the vehicle and disregarding warning shots.

The residents said the two were intercepted by the frontier guards before they were told to drive off and later shot. Before they were shot they were allegedly severely assaulted.

However, the army says that it did nothing outside the parameters of the law when killing the two people..