By Zweli Martin Dlamini

MANZINI: The three police officers who assaulted kombi conductor Sanele Shiba in a trending video were not suspended as reported by the State controlled media, they were actually transferred to the Manzini Regional Headquarters.

According to a memo in possession of this Swaziland News, dated 19 May 2021 with Origin No M/99/22/3/1X/79, Constable B Ndlovu(force No: 7033), Constable B Mdluli(8361) and Constable V Nkentjane(5925) were transferred from the Manzini Police Station where they were based at the time of committing the crime to the Manzini Regional Headquarters, the highest policing office within that region.

Reached for comments, Sanele Shiba, the kombi conductor who was heavily assaulted by the police during a protest organized by public transport workers said he has been receiving calls from the police where he  was asked to record a statement.

“I have been receiving calls from the police and now I’m fearing for my life\", he said.

An insider within the police and very close to the matter told this publication that the officers, after being transferred to the Manzini Regional Headquarters were later told to take leaves pending investigations  into the circulating video.

“They were all transferred from Traffic to Manzini Regional Headquarters,Communications Department. They were then told to take leaves pending investigations of the circulating video clip”,said the source within the police service.

Another source within the police service very close to the matter told this Swaziland News that the officers were first advised to go on leave and be away from duty for their own safety in the midst of protests against police brutality  

A questionnaire including the transfer documents were sent Phindile Vilakati, the eSwatini Police Spokesperson, however, she had not responded at the time of compiling this report.

Reached for comments, Wandile Dludlu, the Secretary General of the People’s United Democratic Movement(PUDEMO) said in the history of police brutality in the country, no police officer was ever disciplined for killing or assaulting citizens.

“No police Officer was ever disciplined in the country for being brutal against the citizens because this regime wants police officers to be brutal towards the people. Instead, they always try to mislead the public that they were doing something to discipline the officers, if it wasn’t for the person who took the video, no one would have known about this case including other daily cases of police brutality. I would make an example about the late Sam Mthembu, he was a mere Desk Officer in Manzini but after killing Sipho Jele and disrupting his funeral, he was promoted to the highest office. There’s no way this regime can discipline brutal police officers because that’s what they were trained to do and they get promoted for doing just that. It is for these reasons you find a police officer who was implicated in the finger-prints scandal promoted to become a Senator, this regime wants brutal and corrupt officers”, said the PUDEMO Secretary General.