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King’s police touring and hit squad profiles: Meet Assistant Superintendent Jabulani Madlopha

Saturday, 28th March, 2020

MBABANE:As we profile the security agents behind the massive human rights violations in the Kingdom of eSwatini, today we bring you Assistant Superintendent Jabulani Madlopha. He is based at Mbabane Police Station and act as undercover member of the torturing and hit squad working closely with the Police Intelligence Unit to execute royal assignment of killing political activists, tracing their identities of those who are critics of King Mswati.

The duties of the unit that operate like ‘hit men’ include conducting background checks for political activists and human rights defenders including their residential addresses so they can easily be targeted.

Madlopha was among the team that tortured and suffocated Swaziland News editor Zweli Martin Dlamini who is currently seeking medical check-ups after the incident. 

During the court appearance of the editor on politically motivated contempt of court charges, Madlopha was in court hoping that the journalist be sent to prison, however, he was released by the Magistrate.

The case attracted the attention of senior police officers after Princess Skhanyiso sent series of messages threatening to deal with the editor

Madlopha mistakenly confessed during the torturing that they will continue following and monitoring the editor.    

The SABC reported that Dlamini was tortured for writing articles critical of King Mswati and this include one where he criticized the King’s speech under the headline: “King Mswati’s speech is actually, a lie from the Throne”. Another article that attracted the attention of the torturing squad was titled: “ Buganu:Who gave King Mswati powers to call our wives for a sex ceremony”.

More political and human rights activists are victims of the torturing squad. The late Sipho Jele, who was a member of the People’s United Democratic Movement(PUDEMO) was allegedly murdered in police custody after an order from King Mswati at Ludzidzini Royal Residence who said members of the political movement should be strangled to death(bekhanywe).

 Recently leaders of the Political Parties Assembly(PPA) were raided and harassed by the police merely for calling for democratic reforms. 

King’s police touring and hit squad profiles: Meet Assistant Superintendent Jabulani Madlopha
Assistant Superintendent Jabulani Madlopha