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Cops search Mario's home for bombs

15/06/2010 00:00:00 WELCOME DLAMINI

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MBABANE – The home of political activist Mario Masuku was yesterday morning searched by police officers who were allegedly looking for bombs and firearms.

According to Masuku, who is president of the banned People’s United Democratic Movement (PUDEMO), the police were in possession of a search warrant that specifically listed bombs, firearms, materials on making firearms and materials on making bombs as the reasons they were conducting the search.

During an interview with Masuku yesterday morning at his home at the suburban Eveni Township, three police officers from the Lukhozi Serious Crimes Unit arrived to return a document they had taken during the search earlier.

The officers introduced themselves by their surnames as Ngwenya, Dludlu and Mavuso.

The three officers did not take kindly to finding journalists at Masuku’s place and even warned the Times photographer against taking pictures of them talking to the political activist.

They asked why the journalists were there and one of them even pretended to be going for his holster when their pictures were being taken. They left soon after they had politely asked Masuku aside and handed the document over to him.

Asked what the paper the police had returned was, Masuku could only say it was a personal document.

Masuku said it was around 6:30am when the police, under the leadership of one Detective Sonyezana Dlamini, came to search his home.

However, he said they found nothing related to what they were allegedly looking for.

"They had a search warrant which named firearms, bombs, material on making firearms and material on making bombs. They had four clear items and obviously they will say things. They only took reading material on PUDEMO," Masuku said.

The political activist, who has been jailed more than once on terrorism-related charges, said he had no problem with what the police took.

"I asked them why they took the documents as they were not bomb related but they said they could take anything," Masuku alleged and declared that nothing would separate him from the organisation.

...Deputy police PRO confirms search

MBABANE - Assis-tant Superinte-ndent Wendy Hleta, the Deputy police PRO, confirmed the search on Masuku’s house but could not divulge what police were looking for.

"I cannot confirm what the search warrant said but it normally states what police are looking for. The warrant states the intention of the search," Hleta said

The raid on Masuku’s home comes amidst a spate of bombings that have rocked the country over the last month where homes of politicians, police as well a government structures were attacked.

A home belonging to Alex Langwenya, a political activist, was also bombed in what was the worst of all the other incidents.

On Friday, a member of the banned Swaziland Youth Congress identified as Zonke Thokozani Tradewell Dlamini, 37, was arrested in connection with the bombing of houses belonging to police mouthpiece Senior Superintendent Vusi Masuku and Mtsambama MP Bheki Mkhonta.