‘CAR SALUTE’ FOR MARIO ENDS IN CHASE WITH COPS

NHLANGANO – Members of the public were treated to a spectacle yesterday as police officers, in their cars, chased after vehicles which were performing a ‘car salute’ for the late Mario Masuku.

Masuku was a former president of the People’s United Democratic Movement (PUDEMO) which is a proscribed entity.

The car salute was sanctioned by the Regional Secretary of PUDEMO, Saverious Nsibande in a press statement. Police, on the other hand, were all out waiting for the car salute to begin. 

They held a roadblock at the T-junction which joins the route from Manzini and Nhlangano Town. 

Commuters who were on board public transport vehicles were searched during the roadblock prior to proceeding with their journey.

Detained 

Members of the PUDEMO who were wearing T-shirts branded with Masuku’s picture were made to take off the T-shirts before being released to continue with their journey.

Others were said to have been detained by the law enforcers.

The number of people who were detained could not be established as Nsibande said he did not receive a full report on the matter. 

Police seemed taken aback by the number of people who had come for the car salute as the law enforcers mainly stopped public transport vehicles yet many others had actually come in their private cars. 

Soon after the convoy which had Masuku’s stickers emerged at the T-junction also known as KaMjuda, police swiftly boarded their cars and started chasing after the vehicles which were to take part in the car salute. Most of the cars made their way towards Makhosini, with the cops in hot pursuit. 

While police were wrapping their equipment, which they had set up at the roadblock, the convoy stopped for a few minutes by the roadside and the occupants danced to political songs which were playing from the car radios and left soon as they saw the police boarding their vehicles. 

Police somehow managed to block some of the vehicles through the use of various routes within the town. 

Three members of the car salute convoy; one of whom was wearing a T-shirt written ‘You can scare others, not me, not PUDEMO’ approached the police and questioned them on why they had closed the road as they were getting out of town.

“Is driving a crime lately? What did we do now? Why are you closing the road, why?” the police officers were questioned. 

None of the law enforcers uttered a single word.

Soon after this episode, the police removed their vehicles and blocked the road leading back to town, allowing them to drive towards Makhosini direction. 

Others who used other routes were also followed by police officers who were also blocking them and allowing them to drive towards Makhosini. 

The convoy then made its way out of town and was followed by police officers to Makhosini. 

Peaceful 

The PUDEMO members who were interviewed stated that the reason they chose the car salute was to pay their last respects to their former president and it was meant to be peaceful. 

They said they did not understand why police were fighting them as they were only driving, which was what anyone could do. 

They said the car salute was due to the COVID-19 regulations, which they believed Masuku would have encouraged them to comply with.

“We cannot dance and sing in our numbers as per the norm, but we can salute our hero using our cars. The cars can dance and sing for us,” they said.

Chief Police Information and Communications Officer Superintendent Phindile Vilakati said they were yet to get a full report regarding the matter.

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