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ESWATINI RANKED 3RD IN THE WORLD ON STABBING DEATHS

07/06/2023 10:44:00 Kwanele Dlamini

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MBABANE – Eswatini is the third country with the highest number of people who die from stabbing, in the world.

This, Judge Maxine Langwenya said, was according to a report by Wisevoter. When sentencing Wandile ‘Hardy’ Maziya, who was convicted of stabbing to death his love rival, Menzi Mamba, Judge Langwenya said, according to the report, which was issued in 2022, South Africa and Lesotho were the first and second countries, respectively, with the most stabbing deaths in the world. The judge stated that South Africa had the highest stabbing deaths at the rate of 16.95 per 100 000 people. Lesotho, said the judge, came second with a rate of 16.38 deaths per 100 000 people. She stated that Eswatini came third at the rate of 9.31 stabbing deaths per 100 000 people.

Judge Langwenya said death by stabbing was a tragically common occurrence in the world today. “It is one of the leading cases of violent deaths ranking in the top three alongside shootings and beatings. In the year 2018, stabbing accounted for over 10 per cent of all homicides in the world,” said the judge. According to Judge Langwenya, that cases of culpable homicide and of murder as a result of stabbing were on the upward trend was confirmed by the high and ever rising numbers of such cases in the High Court.

Sentence

As a result, Judge Langwenya said there was a need for the court to mete out appropriate sentences to deter would-be offenders from resorting to violent crimes of stabbing, resulting in loss of lives. “Society expects that convicted persons be sentenced appropriately. This means that courts must protect society and when called upon to do so, the community should not be disappointed by the imposition of too lenient sentences for crimes that are serious, lest the community take the law into their own hands. On the contrary, the accused and prospective offenders must realise that the killing of someone is forbidden and will attract appropriate sentences,” said the judge in her judgment.

Reason

She added that, unfortunately, once lost, human life is irreplaceable. For this reason, courts guard jealously the life of every human being. “Courts have a duty and they will continue to remind all and sundry that resorting to violence in order to settle scores should never be an option as in that violence is an inherent risk to life and limb.” The court sentenced Maziya to eight years imprisonment. One year of the sentence was suspended for a period of five years, on condition that Maziya was not, during the period of suspension, found guilty of a crime in which violence to the person of another is an element. The sentence took into account the period of nine months that Maziya spent in pre-trial incarceration. Maziya, who was found guilty of culpable homicide, stabbed Mamba after the woman they were both in love with called one of them to where she was with the other, has been convicted by the court. He stabbed Mamba with a knife in the neck. He was charged with murder. He pleaded not guilty and raised the defence of provocation, alternatively private defence. The Crown led 10 witnesses while Maziya was the only witness for his defence.

Triangle

The woman at the centre of the love triangle, Londiwe Simelane, was walking with one of her lovers, Mamba, when she called her other lover, Maziya, who was at a distance. Maziya, according to evidence presented in court, found Simelane with Mamba and he got angry and asked what was going on between him and Simelane. Mamba is said to have responded by issuing insults and they engaged in a fight. Their lover, Simelane, left the scene during the fight, to call someone who could come and diffuse the situation. Maziya stabbed Mamba in the neck. The incident happened on October 31, 2021 at KaKhoza in Manzini. Mamba, Simelane and others, had been enjoying alcoholic beverages from the morning until late at night when the offence was committed. It was Simelane’s evidence that one Silindile was the first to leave the place where they were having drinks and she followed her later. As Simelane walked home, she found Silindile along the way crying and she asked her why she was crying, Maziya emerged in the company of two men. Simelane called Maziya to where Simelane was and found her in the company of Mamba.

During cross-examination, Simelane confirmed that she was the one who called Maziya to come to where she was with Mamba. Simelane testified that Maziya was provoked by Mamba. According to Simelane, Mamba was spoiling for a fight with Mamba by belittling him through his utterances. Simelane testified that at the time of the incident, she had terminated the romantic relationship with Mamba as she had started a new relationship with Maziya. Simelane also testified that Mamba was unhappy that she had ended the romantic relationship with him. Another witness, Mzwandile Martin Dlamini submitted that he was aboard a vehicle from Makholweni when he met Maziya in the company of a female companion next to a Mtsetfwa homestead. Maziya, according to Dlamini, was carrying a three-star knife. He said he thought that Maziya had been fighting with his girlfriend.

Died

At Ludzeludze, Maziya received a call from Simelane that Mamba had died. At the time the news of Menzi’s death was communicated by Simelane, Maziya is said to have dropped the beer bottle he was holding in his hand. Judge Langwenya stated in her judgment that Maziya had time to desist from his unlawful and intentional conduct but proceeded to stab Mamba, well knowing that he was unarmed. The court considered the defence of provocation that was also raised by the accused. The judge said he was of the view that the accused was provoked by Mamba who uttered unpalatable expletives directed at him. The Crown was represented by Thulani Mamba while Sanele Mabila of S. Mabila Attorneys.