Times Of Swaziland: OVER 200 ANGRY RESIDENTS DELIVER PETITION, GUARDS SUSPENDED

OVER 200 ANGRY RESIDENTS DELIVER PETITION, GUARDS SUSPENDED
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Thokozani Mamba on 19/03/2023 17:12:00


SITEKI – Security guards suspected of torture have since been suspended from
duty.
This follows a march by over 200 angry Mahangeni residents yesterday, who were
joined by members of political formations, to deliver a petition demanding the
removal of the security guards. The security guards were implicated in the
alleged torture of workers in connection with stock theft. The company has since
suspended the implicated security guards from work.
Over 200 residents marched to the Richmond Estate led by Mhlomelo Mamba,
Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) Swaziland Lubombo Region Convener and Mzwandile
Siyaya.
tortured
Mahangeni community is situated next to Nsoko, along the main road to Lavumisa
Border Gate. Last weekend, Menzi ‘Rhu’ Dlamini and Sibusiso Dlamini were
allegedly tortured by a team of seven security guards in pursuit of a confession
for cattle theft. The duo was allegedly tortured and thrown into a
crocodile-infested dam in a bid to force them to confess. The security guards
were also alleged to be terrorising residents and employees in the name of
attempting to recover stolen herds of cattle.
removal
Yesterday, the residents, joined by members of political formations, delivered a
petition to the company’s management, demanding the removal of the security
guards and managers implicated in torturing the duo before the end of this
month. The farm specialises in cattle rearing, sugar cane and peanut  farming.
They also complained that the security officers were assaulting members of the
community and management had done nothing to stop them. “We demand that the
security officers be removed with immediate effect so that the community can
work hand in hand with the company,” read part of the petition. One of the
march organisers, Mamba, said the march was a success as they managed to deliver
the petition with the intention to ensure that the management of the estate
removes the implicated security guards with immediate effect. “We want the
estate management to work hand in hand with the community in combating criminal
elements, hence we complained that residents were being tortured by security
personnel who suspected them of cattle theft within the farm.
unacceptable
This is unacceptable, they cannot take the law into their own hands. We have to
act swiftly before the security guards kill one of our own,” said Mamba. The
Security Guards Manager, Dumsani Dlamini, said they had since been told to stop
coming to work after this incident. Dlamini refuted that they tortured the duo
and alleged that the angry residents threatened to kill them. The manager said
he was hurting for losing a job and wondered how he was going to look after his
family. He said he was not present when the petition was delivered. “We did
nothing wrong and we never did what the people said we did. It is not true. We
have been stopped from going to work. I am not okay to speak about this matter.
I am ready to die if they want to kill me, but I did nothing wrong and the
claims that we tortured the two are not true,” he said. The Estate Manager,
Joseph Magagula, could not be reached when called yesterday as his mobile phone
was constantly not available on the network.