FRIENDS MARCH TO COP SHOP OVER ‘BEBE’ DEMISE

MANKAYANE - While the family of Sebenele ‘Bebe’ Mbuyisa were still mourning his death and busy with funeral arrangements, his friends marched to pile pressure on the police yesterday.

Bebe is the 29-year-old man who was heavily assaulted supposedly by the police and died in the early hours of last Sunday morning, while undergoing treatment at Mbabane Government Hospital, where he had been admitted for approximately two months.

About 30 friends of Bebe gathered at Mankayane Bus Rank yesterday morning at around 11 with the intention of marching to demand answers regarding his death from the office of the Mankayane Police Station Commander. However, when they were supposed to start marching, traffic police officers from Mankayane Police Station came to escort them and ensure that the march remained peaceful. Seemingly, the arrival of the police officers was not welcomed as the marchers, who were already singing struggle songs, made it clear that they do not want anything to do with the police. In fact, their point was that how could police escort them in a march which was about their colleagues.

As a result, about half of the marchers decided to abandon the march. They said they would rather send a representative to the police station to deliver their petition than to be escorted by the police.

Upon seeing that their presence was not welcomed, the officers told the remaining marchers to go ahead with the march on their own. However, they said they would be present when they approached the police station.
Indeed, the handful friends of ‘Bebe’, took control of the public road from Mankayane Bus Rank to the police station as they occupied both lanes of the road.

Order

However, when they reached the bridge before the police station, the law enforcers showed up and controlled them to march on the left lane of the road and that was the order until they reached their destination.

At the police station, the marchers were welcomed by a team of over 10 police officers, which was led by Manzini Regional Crime Branch Officer (RCBO) Clement Sihlongonyane, who also received the petition on behalf of the regional commander.

The petition was addressed to Mankayane Police Station Commander and it said; “As Mankayane community we hereby, with due respect, seek answers concerning the death of Sebenele ‘Bebe’ Mbuyisa, which we understand he died after being severely beaten by the police. We want to see justice done and served.”

Upon receiving it, Sihlongonyane told the marchers that the office of the regional commander would look into their grievances and would respond in due course because the subject matter was known to the police.

In fact, he said for purposes of fairness and impartiality, the matter was being investigated by police from Manzini Police Station.
On the other hand, Sihlongonyane said if they were not satisfied with the post-mortem results which were issued by the police pathologist, the family was free to acquire the services of a private expert in the field pathology do another autopsy.

It is worth noting that the post-mortem results which were issued by the Police Pathologist,  Dr Komma Reddy on Wednesday, and Bebe died due to septicaemia (blood poisoning, especially which is caused by bacteria or their toxins).

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