Africa-Press – Eswatini. Suicide or murder?
This is a question some police officers in Pigg’s Peak are asking regarding the death of the late police officer Duncan Dumisani Dlamini. Duncan was found dead about a week ago but it was believed that he had committed suicide by cutting himself with a broken bottle on the neck.
The police officer, who was 42 years old, left his colleagues questioning the alleged suicide claims. The death of the officer, which occurred near Nginamadvolo, approximately 10 kilometres from Pigg’s Peak, has raised eyebrows within the police force, particularly at the Pigg’s Peak Police Station where the deceased worked.
According to sources, last Saturday, Dlamini was found dead in a forest, a secluded area where he had seemingly gone missing for some time. The circumstances surrounding his untimely demise have led to questions among fellow police officers, who find it hard to believe that their colleague would have taken his own life.
Initial reports suggested that Dlamini had been with friends but left and he was never seen after that. Allegedly, he used a broken beer bottle to inflict wounds upon himself, leading to his death. However, this account has left many perplexed, as they stated that using such a sharp object for self-harm seems highly unusual.
One police officer, who wished to remain anonymous, vehemently expressed disbelief in the suicide theory. “It does not make sense that he could have committed suicide,” the officer said in disbelief. “To think that someone would choose to end their life using a broken beer bottle, it’s beyond comprehension”, said the police officer who insisted that he did not want to be named.
Moreover, doubts have arisen, surrounding Dlamini’s recent behavior. Prior to his disappearance, he had borrowed a car from a friend, claiming that he would only use it for a few hours. However, he is said to have kept the vehicle for more than a day, causing concern among those close to him. The owner of the car was unaware of Duncan’s whereabouts until he was tragically discovered deceased.
It was further gathered that Duncan was supposed to be at work but he did not show up. The unsettling circumstances surrounding Duncan’s death have prompted some police officers to insist that a thorough investigation be done. Many residents, after getting the reports that Duncan had died recalled that he was a sociable person. Some of his friends also described him as someone who was kind and jovial, making it even more difficult to reconcile the idea of him taking his own life.
When the Chief Police Information and Communications Officer, Superintendent Phindile Vilakati was reached for comment, she had confirmed the alleged suicide but also said the police were still investigating the matter. Meanwhile, in November 2022, police officers from Pigg’s Peak Police Station were sent on a wild-goose chase when they were informed that a police officer had been forced into a car boot and kidnapped. It was alleged that the police officer was kidnapped from one of the watering holes in the town.
The late Duncan was the same police officer who was reported to have been kidnapped at the time. Since the incident happened at a time when police officers were being targeted during the political unrest, some police officers had concluded that Duncan may have become a victim of attacks on officers.
It was believed that Duncan had been kidnapped at around 10pm on November 16, 2022. As police officers searched for their colleagues in bars around town , patrons were furious as they accused the heavily armed personnel of disturbing their peace as they imbibed alcohol. Even a bar owned by His Majesty’s Correctional Service (HMCS) was also searched. The bar is situated within HMCS in Pigg’s Peak.
The search by a contingent of police officers took several hours and officers were also informed that the officer looked like he had been drugged as he was being kidnapped. The search for Duncan worsened when his cellphone could not be reached as it first seemed to be offline. Later, there was some hope when a call was made to the missing police officer and it rang but he did not answer.
After several hours of searching, it turned out that Duncan was never kidnapped. He was inside his house at the police camp, fast asleep. The police officers who were searching for Duncan were later told that when he was taken into his vehicle, it was not that he had been kidnapped but that he was being taken to his house by some friends who wanted to make sure that he was home safely.
…. Some family members also do not believe cop killed himself
PIGG’S PEAK – Just like his former work colleagues, the family of Duncan Dlamini do not believe he killed himself. Duncan’s postmortem was conducted on Thursday. A postmortem is an operation done on a corpse to determine the cause of death (COD). It is also done for other reasons as instructed by courts such as to collect tissue for other tests. In some instances, postmortems can be done several years after death.
Mandla Dlamini, who is an uncle to the late Duncan also said the family doubted that the death was suicide. However, he said he was out of the country when the postmortem was conducted. Mandla also said the police would be the right authority to give more details into any ongoing investigation.
Superintendent Phindile Vilakati, the Chief Police Information and Communications Officer when reached for comment stated that the police do not discuss issues pertaining to an individual with another. She said, if there is someone who has an issue regarding the death of the police officer should approach the police. According to a notice that was published yesterday in the Times of Eswatini, Duncan was expected to be laid to rest today (Saturday).
Source: times
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