2 BUSINESSES BURN, ARSON ATTACK SUSPECTED

MATSAPHA – Soldiers were called as unknown arsonists struck at the industrial hub of the country, Matsapha Industrial Site.

The incident took place in the wee hours of yesterday morning, at around 2am and the affected companies are Eden Suppliers and Jano Spares.
Eden Suppliers is a plastic recycling company located within a factory shell that also houses a warehouse for sugar, while Juno Spare deals with car parts and is adjacent to the other companies. According to a source close to the matter, who preferred not to be named, some of the workers who were  working the night shift within the factory shell, were shocked by the fire which left damage amounting to about E80 000.

He said the fire started at Eden Suppliers’ storage room, where raw material and used plastic bags, which are yet to be recycled, were kept.
He said upon seeing the flames, they immediately called the Eswatini National Fire and Emergency Services (ENFES) and the Royal Eswatini Police Service (REPS). While waiting for the fire personnel and the police, the source said since the material that was burning was highly flammable, the flames of fire  quickly reached the neighbouring company - Jano Spares and burnt a car that was being fixed.

“It also affected some cars which were parked at the spares company as it burnt its rear lights (reverse, indicators and brakes) and bumpers, among other things,” the source narrated. He said firefighters arrived at around 3am together with members of the Umbutfo Eswatini Defence Force (UEDF) and police officers later. The source highlighted that members of UEDF and police officers were heavily armed and some of them patrolled around the industrial site, while others remained behind with the firefighters who were putting out the fire.

Flames

The source said while the firefighters were trying to put out the raging flames, they  allegedly learnt that they had delayed to arrive at the scene because they  had to wait for the soldiers. The firefighters called the soldiers to accompany them to the scene as they feared that the arsonists could  still be within the vicinity and may be armed and ready to harm them. Worth noting is that the scene is less than four kilometres from the Matsapha Fire Station. Earlier this week; our sister publication, the Times of Eswatini, reported that fire and emergency personnel had also received threats. The source said even though the firefighters delayed to arrive at the scene, they worked hard to prevent further damage.

They said next to the bales of plastics which were burnt, there was a Southern Star truck, which had come to deliver sugar cane at the warehouse, which is owned by one of the reputable companies in the country. “If it was not for the hard work of the firefighters, the flames could have easily reached the truck and subsequently the factory shell. We would be talking about damage exceeding millions,” the source said.

Meanwhile, the Managing Director (MD) of Eden Suppliers, Jacques Bancuuren, said he does not know how the fire started, but one thing he was adamant on was that it was impossible for it to have started on its own, especially because at around 2am, it was raining heavily. “So, surely someone started the fire, but I do not know who did this and why. One can tell that the person(s) behind the arson attack came through the spares company because thhere was no security guard,” the MD said. On another note, he said he believed that his company was not the intended target. He said his suspicion was that the arsonists targeted one of the companies within the vicinity and they supposedly thought that the fire from the  plastic bags, which are highly flammable, would also affect or reach their target.

Speculation

He had his suspicions on the intended target, but they cannot be named as it was speculation. He said the damaged he incurred was around E30 000.
However, he said since the factory was not affected, the jobs of his employees were safe. On another hand, Jano Spares MD Jano Rizwan said he suffered damages amounting to about E50 000. When he was asked about the issue of security, he claimed that the security guard had not  reported  for duty on the night of the incident.

Chief Police Information and Communications Officer Superintendent Phindile Vilakati confirmed the fire incident and said the police were investigating the matter. On the same note, ENFES Public Relations Officer (PRO) Mandla Dlamini also confirmed the matter. He said they delayed to arrive at the scene because they were waiting for members of the UEDF, whom they had called to accompany them since they believed that their lives could be in danger. He said following the threats they received as firefighters, they had made an arrangement with the UEDF and the police that if they received an emergency call, they would call them to provide security if they believed that their lives could be in danger.

Threats

A source within the ENFES said relevant stakeholders, including the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development, management of ENFES and workers representatives have made means to meet over the threats directed to firefighters who would attend to emergencies like fire incidents.
It is worth noting that on Wednesday, the Prime Minister (PM), Cleopas Dlamini assured the nation that the people who were behind the violent acts like arson attacks and killing of members of State security organs, would be brought to book. He said this was because those who have already been arrested in connection with such acts were spilling the beans, as they were revealing the masterminds behind the attacks.

Violent

The acts of these violent acts have been happening in the country since the June/July 2021 unrest. This is where dozens of emaSwati were shot dead and others were left with permanent disabilities. In fact, according to a report which was issued by the Human Rights Commission on October 29, 2021, a total of 291 people were shot in two days (June 28 and 29, 2021). It said 46 civilians died in the process. Among those who were shot, 19 were children and two of them died.

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