Times Of Swaziland: SNAT’S MUZI LOSES TOOTH  IN SCUFFLE WITH 15 COPS

SNAT’S MUZI LOSES TOOTH  IN SCUFFLE WITH 15 COPS
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BY LUNGA MASUKU on 19/03/2015 07:18:00


MBABANE – Secretary General of the Swaziland National Association of Teachers
(SNAT) Muzi Mhlanga lost one of his front teeth and is suffering from painful
private parts after an alleged scuffle with police.
The incident is said to have happened last Saturday when police officers stopped
a meeting organised by the Trade Union Congress of Swaziland (TUCOSWA). The
meeting was scheduled to be held at the SNAT Centre in Manzini.
Mhlanga alleged that he was dragged for about 20 metres, while about 15 police
officers held him by his private parts.
In an interview yesterday, Mhlanga said he had just returned from Lusaka,
Zambia, where he had gone to attend a meeting of regional leaders of teachers’
organisations.
“Upon return home on Friday afternoon, I found that there would be a meeting
of executive officials of TUCOSWA and the meeting was to be held at the SNAT
Centre.
“As I approached the main gate to the venue of the meeting, I found a
contingent of police officers, who were all over the gate. I walked inside and
found other officials in the boardroom. While preparing to convene our meeting,
the police came and ordered us out of the boardroom.
“They told us that we cannot proceed with the meeting. They then drove us out
of the boardroom. We moved out and got inside our bus and locked ourselves
inside. While inside, police surrounded the bus. They then moved to the back of
the SNAT bus and forcefully opened its back side. That is when they grabbed me
and pulled me out of the vehicle,” Mhlanga alleged.
“They then dragged me for about 20 metres from the bus before they started
kicking me all over the body. While sprawled on the turf, someone kicked me in
the  mouth. I felt like there was sand in my mouth. All this happened outside
the SNAT Centre premises, on the road leading to Manzini Central High.
“When I tried to spit, blood and a white stone-like thing came out of my
mouth. I then took it and discovered that it was one of my front teeth. Blood
then oozed out and they left me lying on the ground,” Mhlanga further alleged.
He said the security guard who was manning the gate was allegedly forced by the
police to hand over the keys to them.
He said after that, other members of the executive decided to take him to
hospital, where he was treated for bruises all over the body. A medical report
that is in this publication’s possession confirms that Dr Themba Ntiwane
treated Mhlanga on Saturday (March 14, 2015), at 1pm.
The report states that the clothes Mhlanga was wearing were slightly soiled and
he had bruises on the back of his shoulders and neck.
Other injuries that he suffered, according to the report, were on his private
parts and had bruises on his calf and upper hip.