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GOVT SHOULD DEAL WITH POLICE BRUTALITY - LEGISLATORS

26/10/2021 09:06:00 BY NTOMBI MHLONGO AND KHULILE THWALA

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LOBAMBA - If government does not do anything about police brutality, the public will direct its anger at Members of Parliament (MPs).

This is the fear that was relayed by the MPs as they condemned the silence of Prime Minister (PM), Cleopas Sipho Dlamini, and his Cabinet on the many incidents of alleged police brutality. The MPs made this known during the debate of a motion moved by Lobamba Lomdzala MP Marwick Khumalo, who asked the PM, in his capacity as the minister responsible for the Royal Eswatini Police Service (REPS), to stop being silent on the reported incidents of police brutality.
Using Standing Order Number 58, the MP said as legislators, they had to make sure their privileges were respected.

He said as legislators, it was not good for them to not provide answers when people were getting injured and dying allegedly at the hands of police officers.
He said if the silence continued, it would cause trouble for the MPs. The MP said one of his colleagues had relayed receiving threatening messages for being silent on the issue. Khumalo mentioned that police officers were using guns known as R5s, which he said were condemned even in neighbouring South Africa during the Marikana era.

After moving the motion, Speaker Petros Mavimbela explained that the PM, who was also present, was meant to present a ministerial statement which would include condemning the police brutality. The Speaker also mentioned that government had already condemned police brutality.

Understand

However, this was not taken kindly by Motshane MP Robert Magongo, who stood up on a point of order. Magongo, said he did not understand what the speaker meant when he said the actions by the police had been condemned. “We live in the same country, we see everything. The actions by the police have not been condemned. Unless they were condemned at Mhlambanyatsi,” said Magongo, to which the Speaker warned that members of the House should be serious. Proceeding with his submission, Magongo said he was worried that the Speaker and others were provided with security while MPs were not. He said it was concerning that unarmed civilians were shot for nothing.

“The shooting is not justified at all. We saw during a march to the US Embassy, there were over 20 000 people, but still it was peaceful,” submitted Magongo.
At that moment, Minister of Finance Neal Rijkenberg stood up on a point of order and asked what exactly the House was debating as there was no motion written down. The minister requested clarity, saying the Standing Order was being infringed upon. He said he was worried that the House would lose order. His submission prompted MP Khumalo to stand up and explain the purpose of the motion. Despite the clarity by Khumalo, Ndzingeni MP Lutfo mentioned that saying there was no order in the House would send a wrong message.

After clarity was offered by the Speaker, Hhukwini MP Nkhanyeti Ngwenya submitted how his own son was shot, allegedly by police officers, outside his home.
He condemned the brutality and pleaded with government to act. Also debating the motion was Mangcongco MP Oneboy Zikalala, who said it was a serious concern that government was silent on the police brutality. “If government comes out and condenms it strongly, we will then support it and relay the message to the constituents. The brutality is such that if as a man you steal a woman from a police officer, you will be shot. We have buried many people already, all because guns have been given to the wrong people,” he submitted.

Examined

Furthermore, he said at times he wondered if police officers were examined mentally to ascertain if they were still in their right senses to continue with their duties. The MP also asked if police officers were not having financial challenges as a result of debts. Meanwhile, Ndzingeni MP Lutfo submitted that the death of a person brought nothing but sadness and misery. “That is why the death sentence was abolished in the country. The deputy prime minister (DPM) went to Geneva where he reported that 37 civilians were killed. But he has never told us who killed them. I would be happy if in his ministerial statement, the PM would include that so that the nation can know and the matter can be put to rest,” he submitted.

The Ndzingeni MP said his wish was to have government dedicate time to mourn for the families who either lost their loved ones or had their relatives injured during the political unrest. “Mourning is our culture as emaSwati,” he said. MP Lutfo posed a question why government was running away from the need to dialogue in the country. Meanwhile, Lubombo Regional MP Lorraine Nxumalo asked if there was an order for police officers to shoot willy-nilly and kill citizens.
The MP said she was asking since on many instances where there were protest marches, marchers were usually shot at.

She also accused members of the Umbutfo Eswatini Defence Force (UEDF) of allegedly torturing people at their homesteads. “The soldiers do as they please at times. You hear stories that they get to a homestead and order both the husband and wife to lie down and then assault them in front of their children just for breaking the curfew,” she submitted. Gilgal MP Sandla Fakudze said the shooting of innocent civilians, which included protesters, had caused disabilities.

“The retreat which was scheduled to be held at Pigg’s Peak Hotel was moved to a different venue after part of the hotel was torched and the PM requested each MP to condemn the behaviour of constituents because things had gotten out of hand yet now government was not condemning the behaviour of security forces, yet people were dying,” he said.

The MP also mentioned that the police should have an independent body investigating them because it was counterproductive for the national commissioner to be the one who investigates the same officers he was in charge of. “We cannot keep allowing forces to beat people and harass them and expect them to not retaliate. If we treat people like animals, they will react like animals,” said the MP. Maseyisini MP Mduduzi Dlamini highlighted that a person now had to choose their words wisely simply because once they spoke, they might find themselves in trouble.

“Those who have been affected by the political unrest should be duly compensated and the political situation in the country should be discussed at length and everyone should be involved,” said the Maseyisini MP. “Police are our neighbours and relatives. They should also be included in the talks and voice out how they got to a point of using force to retaliate on unarmed citizens,” he further said. The Maseyisini MP also decried the division within Parliament and how legislators were categorised once they made submissions.

Hope

“We need to unite and speak in one voice and the King’s announcement of dialogue brings hope because peace needs to be restored in the country,” said the MP.
Siphocosini MP Mduduzi Matsebula wondered why the use of ammunition and force was the only strategy to disperse crowds by security forces. “What happened to the use of water cannons, like we see in other countries? How did we get to a point where the shooting of people is the first response?” asked the MP. After the MPs had passed the motion, MP Khumalo applauded them for taking their time to debate it.

He then made reference to an incident where a police officer had his gun taken from him by protesters and said they did not harm him in any way.
He said despite that the protesters had all the time to shoot the officer, they did not do so. “We have not heard of incidents where police have been killed by protesters, but they continue to shoot people willy-nilly. I am happy that we debated this issue today, it was hard. Some people want us to be conformists and keep quiet, but I am not going to allow that,” said Khumalo. He highlighted that one life lost was one too many and that government needed to take care of the people by showing compassion the families of those who lost their lives or were injured during the political unrest.