Africa-Press – Eswatini. Police investigations reportedly unearthed that meetings to overthrow the Government of Eswatini were held in the Republic of South Africa and Mozambique.
It has been alleged that to attend these meetings, informal crossings were used by those who had been recruited to be part of the plot to overthrow the State. This information is contained in the opposing affidavit by the police, in the bail application filed by the two men who were allegedly found in possession of two explosives, live bullets and an Umbutfo Eswatini Defence Force (UEDF) uniform. Musa Clement Kunene and Msindiso Ntshalintshali were arrested by members of the Royal Eswatini Police Service (REPS) on November 8, 2022 at Mbhuleni, Matsapha. The duo stands accused of having contravened the Suppression of Terrorism Act of 2018. In his opposing affidavit, the investigator of the matter, Assistant Inspector Justice Motsa, stated that he was in possession of communication of meetings, where there were discussions to overthrow the Government of Eswatini.
Overthrow
He told the court that if the duo was released on bail, they would still pursue their mission to overthrow the government and this would jeopardise the safety of the public. He also brought it to the attention of the court that the accused persons allegedly sourced the explosives and ammunitions from the Republic of Mozambique. He alleged that this was an indication that the duo had some connections in the Republic of Mozambique, where the ammunitions and explosives were sourced. The investigator went on to submit that the accused persons were in the process of recruiting emaSwati to be trained in certain camps in South Africa, so that after the training, they would come back to Eswatini to kill emaSwati and destroy their properties.
“The accused persons were hell bent on overthrowing the Government of the Kingdom of Eswatini through violent means,” argued Inspector Motsa.
Investigations
He narrated to the court that their (police) investigations further revealed that the accused persons and their accomplices, who were still at large, would time and again engage in meetings in the Republic of South Africa; Nelspruit and Johannesburg. It is alleged that it was during these meetings that plans to overthrow the government were orchestrated. Assistant Inspector Motsa argued that in the event the two were released on bail, they would abscond to Mozambique, where it would be difficult to extradite them. He highlighted that the Kingdom of Eswatini and the Republic of Mozambique did not have mutual legal assistance, where process of extradition could be made. The investigator further pointed out that it would not be in the interest of justice to release the accused persons, as they would attempt to influence State witnesses.
He informed the court that witnesses to the case were known to the accused persons. “The witnesses where they procured the explosives and ammunitions are well-known to them and they are from Mozambique. Even the people they had recruited who are now witnesses are known to them,” he argued. He emphasised that if the accused persons were released on bail, there was a likelihood that they would influence the witnesses, as they were purportedly known to them. Assistant Inspector Motsa also brought it to the attention of the court that the accused persons were staying around Manzini at Mathangeni and KaKhoza, while the witnesses in their case also resided in the same places. He noted that in their bail application, the two did not provide the police with an alternative place to stay and this was an indication that they would go back to their usual place of abode, where there were witnesses, thus intimidating them (witnesses).
Meanwhile, in their bail application, the accused persons claimed that they were sick and needed urgent medical attention. They further claimed that in prison, they were purportedly subjected to ill-treatment. The accused persons submitted that ever since they were arrested, they were suffering from various ailments, which doctors in prison and those from Mbabane Government Hospital were unable to treat. “Inside prison, we are sometimes denied basic necessities in life, such as visits by our family members, relatives and friends. We are not allowed to make calls to our families or even purchasing consumables from the prison tuck shop,” submitted Kunene.
Source: times
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