OVER E79M LAWSUITS AGAINST POLICE

MBABANE - As cases of alleged misconduct by police officers increase, the taxpayer could suffer immensely.

This is because cases of litigation against the police are costing government millions. According to a Performance Report on Recurrent and Capital Expenditure and Other Allied Police Administration & Operational Activities for the financial year April 1, 2020 to January 31, 2021, the Royal Eswatini Police Service (REPS) has suits totalling to over E79 million. This is for the year under review. It is stated in the report that in the year under review alone, the REPS parted with E740 380. In terms of civil suits, the report reflects a significant increase in that there were 33 cases in the period between April 1, 2020 and January 2021 while there were only 16 in the same period the previous year. This shows an increase of about 48 per cent in civil suits against the REPS. When combined, the analysis shows that there have been 49 civil suits against the REPS in the past two financial years.

Assaults

Civil suits emanate from unlawful arrests and detention, unlawful shootings, traffic accidents, unlawful assaults and malicious prosecution. It was noted in the report that it was evident that issues of litigation against the REPS remained a challenge to the organisation as it tagged along with cost implications from its budget. “To mitigate the upsurge in civil suits for example, the national commissioner has reinstituted intervention programmes in all formations to sensitise officers on the professional handling of suspects, customer service provision as well as inculcating professional ethics in frontline policing,” reads part of the report. It should be noted that recently, concerns over alleged misconduct by police officers have taken centre stage following the death of aspiring lawyer Thabani Nkomonye. Nkomonye’s death triggered emotions accompanied by serious allegations against the police with members of the public calling for an investigation into his demise. Eventually, Acting Prime Minister Themba Masuku announced that an inquest be conducted to ascertain the circumstances relating to his death.

Masuku announced the appointment of Senior Magistrate Nonhlanhla Dlamini to investigate the circumstances leading to the death of Nkomonye. The aspiring lawyer was alleged to have been involved in an accident and his corpse was not discovered until six days later. Another recent incident is that of three police officers who were captured in a video that went viral, allegedly insulting and assaulting a conductor, and were later suspended.

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