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‘SOLDIERS THREW ME INTO FIRE FOR BURNING TYRES’

19/08/2021 08:41:00 BY MELISA MSWELI

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NHLANGANO – A 33-year-old man of Zombodze Emuva is currently admitted to a health facility with severe burn wounds after he was allegedly thrown into a fire.

While Mcebo Mamba alleges that it was soldiers who tossed him into the flames, the army refutes this allegation. The incident is said to have happened on Sunday night at a place called Emgubaneni under Zombodze Emuva in the Shiselweni Region.
Mamba is currently admitted to Nhlangano Health Centre. It was said that a group of men, including Mamba, allegedly blocked the road and burnt tyres at Zombodze Emuva. It was said that a vehicle belonging to Umbutfo Eswatini Defence Force (UEDF) approached and the group of men ran into the bushes. About five soldiers are said to have pursued Mamba and caught him. According to Mamba’s narration of the story, the soldiers who were later joined by two others who arrived in another car, making a total of seven, told him that they were going to throw him into the fire but at first, he did not believe them.

He alleged they then dragged him to the fire and indeed, tossed him into the flames. He alleged that they further used sticks to beat him all at once while he was in the fire. He said he tried to roll out of the fire but was told to roll back in or they would throw him back. Mamba’s right hand and it’s palm was completely burnt. He explained that the fire he was thrown into had huge flames due to the tyres which he suspected were the ones that also changed the colour of his hand to become black and other parts of the body. He also suffered burn wounds on his elbow, knee joints and on his waist, among other body parts. He explained that his cellphone also got burnt in the process as he was thrown into the fire with his clothes on. Also, it was established that some of the clothes he was wearing got burnt such that they got stuck onto his skin.

Mamba alleged that he was further kicked as each time he rolled out of the fire, he would be kicked all over the body and then thrown back into the flames. A patient card detailed that Mamba had burn wounds in some parts of his body. “I recall that when I tried to look at them, they would question me why I was looking at them in their faces and some would adjust their caps and masks,” further alleged Mamba. It was established that the two other people who were caught along with Mamba were only beaten and not burnt. Mamba, who kept holding back tears during the interview and would pause in between sentences to gain composure to talk, shared that the whole experience was traumatic and the more he thought about it, the more vivid the incident became.
One of Mamba’s neighbours, who did not want to be named in fear of being victimised, said they were watching from a distance when Mamba was allegedly tossed into the fire and beaten by the soldiers. He alleged that the soldiers would take turns when beating him as they would also attend to the two others who were also caught.

The neighbour explained that they then called Mamba’s father and told him what was happening. It was said that Mamba eventually found a way of escaping and ran for his life. While he was trying to reach home, his father arrived at the scene and found the soldiers there. Mordecai Mamba, a father to Mcebo, said he went to the scene as it was dark and upon arrival, he saw people who were putting out fire and he thought it was his neighbours. He enquired where his child was as he got a call that soldiers were burning his son alive. He said it was only after he got closer that he noticed it was actually the soldiers he was talking to. He said the soldiers questioned him why he was worried now and did not worry about the fire that was blocking vehicles on the road.
He said he apologised and asked where his son was and his condition. “The response I got was that I was supposed to go back home and prepare for a funeral,” alleged Mordecai.

He said they warned him several times to get out of their sight and he went back home only to find that his son was already home. Mcebo’s father clearly stated that he did not condone what his son did (of burning tyres on the road), but it was unfortunate that he was not arrested like the others to face the law. He said to the best of his knowledge, when someone did something criminal, he was to be arrested and charged and face the wrath of the law. When sought for comment, Chief Police Information and Communications Officer Superintendent Phindile Vilakati said the case was not reported to them. He repeated the same response when asked how then the patient was admitted to hospital as he produced a report from the police. Meanwhile, UEDF Public Relations Officer Second Lieutenant Tengetile Khumalo, when asked if the case was reported to them and if such a conduct was expected from soldiers on duty, said: “The UEDF Public Affairs Office is not aware of such allegations nor has it received any report to that effect. It is only after the verification of the allegations that (we) can enable one to comment.”