Home | News | Zionist priest shot dead

Zionist priest shot dead

16/05/2012 00:00:00 SIZWE MAZIYA

Font size:

NHLANGANO - This community is in shock after the cold-blooded murder of Zionist priest Timothy Mkhulunyelwa Dudu Mdziniso, who was shot 10 times by an unknown masked man.

Mdziniso was a priest at the Emptfonjeni Church in Zion.

The horrific incident unfolded in the presence of his wife and seven grandchildren on Monday night at his home.

The incident happened at Mthombe area under the Zombodze Emuva constituency in the Shiselweni region.

The deceased, an ex-miner, was seated on a chair in his bedroom listening to the 7pm local news bulletin from the Swaziland Broadcasting and Information Services (SBIS) when a man wearing a balaclava, black jacket and trousers forced his way into the house via the kitchen door and shot him dead using a 9mm pistol.

In an interview yesterday, his wife, Kheselinah (62) was at pains when recalling the incident.

She said she was with her husband in the bedroom next to the door when she heard gunshots and suddenly saw him motionless and bleeding.

Mdziniso, died on the spot after being shot 10 times.

The family said they still could not understand why he was killed. The children are said to have screamed for help and the youngest is three years old.

"My-10-year old grandson sprinted into the bedroom screaming and hid under the bed. I was by the door preparing to go to the kitchen when the incident unfolded.

I screamed for help fearing the man would also kill me. He did not say anything to me or the children.

My third-born son, Mshayina, and daughter-in-law, Ntombifuthi, arrived at the house and called the police through 999.

"We then put his dead body on top of a grass mat until the arrival of the police," Kheselinah said.

Nhlangano police arrived at 8pm and recorded statements before taking away my husband’s body to the mortuary where it is currently kept pending his burial.

Police Deputy Public Relations Officer, Assistant Superintendent Stephen Dlamini, confirmed the matter and said it was being investigated.

Dlamini advised the suspect to hand himself over to the police.

Younger brother got death threats

NHLANGANO - Philemon Mdziniso, the deceased priest’s younger brother, said he had been receiving death threats from some members of the community.

He said they accused Timothy Mdziniso of allegedly stealing cattle from a resident’s homestead at night. He said the death threats resulted in Timothy shunning church services and community meetings in fear of being killed.

Philemon said the cattle were recovered early this year and it transpired during investigations that he was not part of the syndicate involved in the mysterious disappearance of the cattle.

"We know the people who threatened my brother with death and they must be happy now that he has been killed painfully in front of his wife.

He was wrongly accused of stealing cattle to the extent he did not attend many church services as well as community meetings yet he was a leader in the church.

Of late, however, he attended the church services even vigils because it was discovered he had no hand in the disappearance of the cattle.

What is painful though is the manner in which he was killed. I could not believe it when I was told by the police he was shot 10 times," he said.

He said one thing that bothered him was that the incident happened in front of young children.

"We are certain the police will arrest the suspect and throw him in jail.

"Members of the community should also work hand in hand with the police so that the suspect is apprehended soon. We also appeal for funds from members of the public to bury our brother. Those willing to assist can contact us at 76380182," Philemon said.

He also disclosed that the cartridges were collected by the police during the inspection of the site where the incident occurred. A post-mortem will be conducted today in Mbabane.

Terrified children run for their lives

NHLANGANO - The children who witnessed the incident ran for their lives after they heard the gunshots and feared that one of them may have also been injured or killed.

Nokuphiwa Bhembe, 14, the deceased’s niece who witnessed the incident, said they were seated at the kitchen and suddenly saw an unknown man, wearing a balaclava, entering the house armed with a gun and heading straight to the bedroom.

"He did not say anything to us and I saw him positioning himself by my uncle’s bedroom door and he started shooting. We ran out of the house and screamed for help as he was rushing for the exit.

"At first I thought my cousin, who is 10 years old was also shot as he was being followed by the man when he ran to the bedroom and hid under my uncle’s bed.," she said.

She said she could not recognise the man because he was wearing a balaclava and everything happened quickly.

Illegal firearms worry residents

NHLANGANO - The community of Mthombe in the Zombodze Emuva constituency is worried by the rate at which residents possess illegal firearms.

Philemon Mdziniso, the deceased’s younger brother, said there were many guns in the wrong hands in the community.

He appealed to the police to embark on an impromptu operation that will seek to confiscate illegal firearms and arrest the suspects.

Police Deputy Public Relations Officer, Assistant Superintendent Stephen Dlamini, alluded to Philemon’s claims and said the police would soon raid the homesteads.

"We have noted that a majority of these guns are smuggled from South Africa and as the police we will work hard to put a stop to this. We will intensify our operations and raid the homesteads.

"We appeal to members of the public to assist us with the apprehension of the suspect and confiscation of illegal firearms," Dlamini said.

Comments

"Oh' God sale ubuya NKhosi".What a coward cold blooded killer. How can you kill infront of children what picture are you painting on their minds. May the law take it part and put this walking "Devil" behid bars for life. May GOD be with the Mdziniso family through this hard time.
May 17, 2012, 10:11 AM, Anon sk