Africa-Press – Eswatini. High Court – Former minister Ntuthuko Michael Dlamini’s lone defence witness yesterday told the court that ever since the September 7, 2020 Mhlabubovu shootings, he has been in trauma.
Asked by presiding Judge Maxine Langwenya in the on how he felt after the incident, Sipho Matsenjwa said he was still traumatised.
“My Lady I am still traumatised, even today when we speak about the incident I shiver and cannot come to terms with what happened,” Matsenjwa said.
He is one of the three men who came to stop the land demarcation process (kubopha lifindvo) in the company of the former minister by Luyengweni inner council members at Mhlabubovu on the fateful day.
He was paraded by the former minister’s lawyer Noncedo Ndlangamandla as the only defence witness in the murder case.
Matsenjwa stated that he saw Ntuthuko allegedly shooting Simon Dlamini who was carrying a knobstick (sagila) three times.
Matsenjwa stated that Simon approached Ntuthuko armed with the knobstick and that was when Ntuthuko allegedly opened fire, hitting Simon in the right arm with the knobstick dropping on the ground and thereafter he fired two more shots at Simon.
Matsenjwa alleged that retired police officer Sikhulu Shongwe was shot after he aimed, shot and missed Ntuthuko once.
He told the court that after the incident, he together with Zulu, Maziya and Ntuthuko were arrested by the police before they were detained at the Mafutseni police station where they were interrogated.
The following day, he together with Zulu and Maziya were released from custody after having given statements of the events that led to the fatal shootings.
The former minister is accused of gunning down three men in cold blood on September 7, 2020.
According to the indictment, he is charged with three counts of murder in that he killed Sikhulu Shongwe, Simon Dlamini and Themba Tsabedze whom he shot several times at Mhlabubovu area in the Manzini region.
On the fourth count, he is charged with contravening the Arms and Ammunition Act in that the gun he used during the shootings was an unlicensed firearm.
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