Times Of Swaziland: MMEMA ABDUCTED FROM HOME, SHOT DEAD IN FOREST

MMEMA ABDUCTED FROM HOME, SHOT DEAD IN FOREST
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Sibusiso Zwane on 29/12/2022 11:15:00


NTONDOZI - SFDF DSG Muzi Mmema was snatched in front of his wife and four
children and shot dead, in a forest, which is about 20km away from his home.
Three of the four children are his biological offspring. According to a source
close to the matter, the deputy secretary general (DSG) of the newly-formed
Swazis First Democratic Front (SFDF) was snatched by four unknown men who were
travelling in a white foreign registered Ford Ranger double cab, just after 7pm
on Tuesday, at his home in Ntondozi in the Manzini Region. The source said Mmema
was from watching soccer matches - festive tournament at Ntondozi Sports Ground.
He was at one of the neighbouring homesteads when he saw the aforementioned
vehicle by his home and rushed there to attend to it.
Children
When the car arrived at the deceased political activist’s home, who was also a
businessman in the micro-lending sector; the occupants purportedly opened its
bonnet as if it had mechanical faults or was overheating. Thereafter, they
reportedly asked for water from Mmema’s children, who were playing in the
yard. While Mmema’s children were fetching the water to give to the unknown
men, who turned to be the killers of their father, the political activist
arrived where the car was parked. Immediately when he arrived, the unknown men
bundled him into their vehicle and he yelled for help by shouting inyandzaleyo
as the unknown men were supposedly overpowering him.
When his wife and children rushed towards where the car had been parked, they
saw Mmema wrestling with the unknown men, who were forcing him into their
vehicle and they sped off, towards KaNdinda and that was the last time they saw
him alive. In the morning, his lifeless body was discovered by people who were
passing by. The forest, which is next to the road to Sidvokodvo (about 20km from
his home) and members of the Royal Eswatini Police Service (REPS), who attended
to the matter, went with some of his family members to the scene, where they
identified him. The deceased’s farther, Linda (Mmema), confirmed that his son
was snatched by four men who had parked their car by his home and asked for
water from his children. He said at home, there were the deceased person’s
wife and four children.
He said the matter was reported to the police and the law enforcers came to his
home to record statements. Thereafter, he said they promised to investigate the
matter. Afterwards, he said the law enforcers returned to give them feedback
that they had found the body of his son in a forest, along the road to
Sidvokodvo and they invited them to the scene for identification purposes. 
“We found his body and it had a bullet wound on the left side of the chest –
close to the heart. He had some bruises on the neck, but we believe he sustained
them when he was wrestling with the men, who forced him into their car,” the
deceased’s father said.
Gunshot
In that regard, he said they believed that the cause of death was the gunshot
wound to the left side of his son’s chest. When he was asked if there was
anything the deceased had said to them, which might make them have a suspect in
mind, he said they neither knew who killed his son nor why he was murdered.
“We have not heard anything that suggests that he might have had enemies or
arguments with certain people or organisations,” the grieving father added. He
said what they heard was how he was snatched by the unknown men and what the
police had told them regarding the discovery of his body.  Mmema is one of the
former members of the Swaziland Liberation Movement (SWALIMO), who joined the
newly-formed SFDF. In fact, at SWALIMO, he was Manzini district organising
secretary.
It is worth noting that these violent acts have been happening in the country
since the June/July 2021 unrest. The protests were sparked after calls for
political reforms and culminated in violence, vandalism and looting of private
and public properties, including businesses, some of which were torched. In the
process, dozens of emaSwati were shot dead were by members of the State security
organs and some were left with permanent disabilities.
Report
According to a report which was released by the Human Rights Commission, at
least 291 people were shot in two days (June 28 and 29, 2021) and they included
19 children. The report said 48 of those who were shot died and they included
two children. Recently, SWALIMO Assistant National Organising Secretary (NOS)
Sibongile Manyika, survived a hail of bullets, as unknown gunmen fired several
shots at her house located at Ngwenya Village. In the process, the gunmen shot
at Manyika’s house and car. Manyika and her husband escaped unharmed, but
considerable damage was left in the house and several bullet casings were found
at the scene of the shooting. Also, Penuel Malinga, who is the National
Organiser of the People’s United Democratic Movement (PUDEMO) escaped unharmed
with his family, after unknown men fired 11 gunshots at his house and also set
alight his car, a Ford Ranger 4x4 double cab 2.2, 6-speed.
Prior to that, PUDEMO President Mlungisi Makhanya suffered damages amounting to
about E1.5 million, as his home, which is located at Ntandweni in Malindza was
bombed by unknown people. Also, a car (a Mercedes-Benz E250) belonging to Sive
Siyinqaba National Movement Acting Chairman Ngomuyayona Gamedze, who is a former
deputy Senate president, was burnt by unknown people and the damages amounted to
about E375 000. Before that, PUDEMO Secretary General Wandile Dludlu’s car, a
white Colt bakkie, valued at E150 000, was set alight by arsonists, while parked
less than 20 metres away from his house at Corperation in Mbabane.  Also, there
was an attempt to petrol-bomb SWALIMO President Mduduzi ‘Gawuzela’
Simelane’s house at Fairview in Manzini