Swaziland police shot a mentally disturbed man seven times,
killing him, and later claimed they had to do it because he had threatened
them.
Mduduzi Mngometulu, aged 34, was killed after
police were called to a disturbance at his home at Lubulini. Mngometulu’s
family said they had trouble controlling him and asked for police assistance in
getting him to a hospital.
When police arrived Mngometulu was seen dancing,
praying and waving a bush knife.
Enock Mngometulu, Mduduzi’s father, said his son
had not threatened anyone with the knife.
Enock Mngometulu told local media the family
witnessed the shooting. ‘The police just opened fire on my son. All he had in
his hand was a bush knife and he was not threatening to harm anyone. They shot
him in cold blood, in front of his family.’
He said his son did not pose a threat to the people present.
He added, ‘To us it looks like murder. We watched as the police officer
shoot at my son until he fell to the ground.’
A post-mortem later revealed Mngometulu had seven bullets in his body
with four wounds in the stomach, one in the leg and two bullet wounds on the
left side of the chest.
Swazi police spokesperson Supt Wendy Hleta said Mngometulu was violent
and had threatened the police who eventually shot him dead.
‘In his state, he had become a violent man, and threatened to assault
the police officer who eventually shot him.’
The killing is one of a number of police shootings in Swaziland that
have raised questions about whether police have a ‘shoot-to-kill’ policy when
dealing with suspects. Last month (June
2012) there was public controversy after police shot dead a suspected serial
rapist called Scarface. Police claimed they shot him in the thigh to stop him
escaping arrest, but it was later revealed Scarface had been shot in the head.
See also
POLICE ‘SHOT ACCUSED RAPIST IN HEAD’
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