Africa-Press – Eswatini. Controversial Pastor Sikhumbuzo Shongwe is in critical condition after he was shot and severely wounded by the police.
This is the latest twist in the incident that led to the death of the man who Shongwe is accused to have shot and killed on Wednesday afternoon at Luve. Initially, sources had informed this newspaper that Shongwe was contemplating handing himself over to the police after the shooting incident.
However, in a twist of events, Shongwe then got into a fight with police who were now looking for his whereabouts.
The incident happened by the roadside at Moneni in the wee hours of yesterday morning. Shongwe is currently admitted at the Raleigh Fitkin Memorial (RFM) Hospital’s intensive care unit (ICU).
It was gathered that Shongwe was shot by the police after he allegedly attacked one of the officers and tried to disarm him.
Sources close to the matter stated that the scuffle which ended with the officer firing shots happened when he resisted arrest following the earlier tragic shooting incident where Zwelithini Tsabedze was killed.
According to sources, Shongwe had ordered that all his cars be taken to a filling station and on his way there, he told one of his drivers to drive past the Moneni SuperSpar so that he could board one of the vehicles.
Unfortunately, the police had already got a tip-off of his whereabouts and they allegedly got into the same car.
Upon seeing the police officers in his car, Shongwe is said to have tried to fight them hence the scuffle that ended with five bullets planted in his body.
The officers were on a mission to arrest Shongwe after he shot and killed Tsabedze whom he has repeatedly accused of having had an affair with his wife Jabulile Nkonyane.
Eye-witnesses said Tsabedze was headed home with a relative.
They are said to have stopped at Luve where he sent the relative to a nearby shop. While waiting for the relative to return, Tsabedze is said to have alighted from his car and walked a few metres towards some businesses where he relieved himself.
At the time he had not bargained for what would happen next. “As soon as Tsabedze turned to leave for his car, Shongwe shot him five times before he turned to leave,” alleged a witness.
Alleged
Close sources have alleged that Shongwe was with an unidentified man driving in a white BMW sedan with no registration number.
The two men have a long-standing row over Shongwe’s estranged wife, whom Shongwe had accused Tsabedze of having an affair with.
Although Jabulile Nkonyane has filed for divorce, Shongwe is opposing the application and argues that Nkonyane is still legally married to him.
At some point, Tsabedze applied for a peace binding order from the Manzini Magistrate’s Court where he said Shongwe had bugged his cellphone and was stalking him.
Due to these challenges that strained her marriage to Shongwe, Nkonyane is said to have relocated to Witbank, South Africa, where Shongwe felt that she was ‘kept in hiding’ by Tsabedze.
In yesterday’s incident, Shongwe is alleged to have resisted arrest by pouncing on the police officer whom he wrestled with while also trying to take the service gun away from him. Unfortunately for Shongwe, the scuffle is said to have ended badly as he was shot in the stomach and foot.
The Deputy Police Information and Communications Officer Inspector Nosipho Mnguni confirmed that Shongwe was shot by the police after he resisted arrest and attacked an officer of the law.
She stated that Shongwe was currently admitted in hospital.
Also, Mnguni said the police were still working on establishing if the gun that Shongwe used in shooting Tsabedze was licensed.
“The gun he used to shoot his wife in August 2021 is still held in custody as an exhibit. We are still investigating if the one he used on Wednesday was licensed or not,” she emphasised.
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