Swazi Media Commentary: police shooting

Showing posts with label police shooting. Show all posts

Saturday, 4 September 2021

Swaziland police ‘shoot and kill suspected cannabis farmer without trying to arrest him’

Swaziland (eSwatini) police reportedly shot a man in the head, killing him, after they suspected him of farming cannabis (known locally as dagga.)

The Swaziland News reported Sihle Dludlu was shot dead by a police officer based at Nhlangano on Friday (3 September 2021).

Local residents protested at the shooting and were dispersed by police using teargas.

The Communist Party of Swaziland in a statement said Dludlu was shot with four or five bullets, one shot hit him in the head.

It added it happened in full public view. ‘Evidence shows that there was no intention to arrest him’ it said.

There has been concern for many years that police in Swaziland have a ‘shoot-to-kill’ policy.

Tuesday, 22 June 2021

Pro-democracy protests sweep rural Swaziland

Pro-democracy protests have been taking place across Swaziland (eSwatini), especially in rural areas, as a campaign steps up to allow people to elect their own prime minister, among other sweeping changes.

Swaziland is ruled by King Mswati III as an absolute monarch. Political parties are banned from taking part in elections and the King appoints the PM and other ministers as well as top judges and civil servants.

The people also called for the economy of the kingdom to be democratically controlled by the people and the provision of free quality healthcare, education and other services. About seven in ten of the 1.1 million population live in abject poverty.

At least 15 separate demonstrations took place on Saturday (19 June 2021). Police fired live bullets in an attempt to disperse a crowd at Kukhanyeni in the Manzini region.

A reporter from the AFP news agency at the scene said about 500 youth gathered. Tyres were burnt and roads blocked. They chanted political slogans as they marched through the village.

AFP reported police fired stun grenades and live bullets – ‘a rare event in rural areas, which tend to support the monarchy’. The angry crowd threw stones in response.

A police spokesperson confirmed shots were fired into the air.

People also marched at Mafutseni, Zombodze Emuva, Lomahasha and Ntfonjeni among other places. More protests are expected this week.

Protestors have been marching to local government centres (known as tinkhundla) to deliver petitions demanding reforms.

Hundreds of youthful protestors blocked the road around Kukhanyeni Inkhundla while demanding that King Mswati III returns to multiparty democracy politics. Pictures from Swati Newsweek,

Tuesday, 18 May 2021

Swaziland police shoot student in eye during protest unrest

A student was reportedly shot in the eye at point blank range by police in Swaziland during a protest.

Phiwayinkosi Dlamini from the University of Eswatini (UNESWA) was taking part in a demonstration that brought the towns of Matsapha and Manzini to a standstill as they marched to Sigodvweni Police Station on Monday (17 May 2021).

According to a local media report police fired rubber bullets after some of the 2,000 people who took part in the protest pelted them with stones.

The march was organised by the Swaziland National Union of Students following the death of Thabani Nkomonye, a 25-year-old law student on 8 May. Police said he died in a road accident, but his body was not discovered until 13 May.

A social media campaign believes Nkomonye was killed by police and his body dumped.

The Swaziland News, an online newspaper, reported Dlamini was admitted to the intensive care unit of the Mbabane Government Hospital.

The Swazi Acting Prime Minister Themba Masuku appointed Senior Magistrate Nonhlanhla Dlamini as the Coroner to investigate the circumstances surrounding the death of Nkomonye.

Phiwayinkosi Dlamini, who was reportedly shot in the eye by police. Picture: Swaziland News

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