MBABANE: Eswatini Police Spokesperson Phindile Vilakati who normally denies allegations of torture, assaults and killings by the police even in the midst of trending videos was quick to confirm that protestors pelted an MP and others who were inside Kwaluseni Inkhundla.
This was during the delivery of a petition to Kwaluseni MP Sibusiso Mabhanisi Dlamini who had earlier made a statement that citizens of Kwaluseni were happy with the Tinkhundla system.
Vilakati was quoted by the Times of Eswatini confirming that the Kwaluseni MP was pelted with stones and had to run for cover.
Reached for comments, Wandile Dludlu, the Secretary General of the People’s United Democratic Movement(PUDEMO) described the conduct of the police Spokesperson as hypocrisy saying even where the evidence was available that police killed or assaulted a citizen, there would be endless investigations and denials.
“Now, within 24hours she had confirmed that protestors pelted the MP and the police with stones but where police killed or assaulted citizens, there would be endless investigations and denials, this is hypocrisy. She is feeding her children with money sourced from being a propagandist and that is not a good thing” ,said the PUDEMO Spokesperson.
The police Spokesperson failed to respond when asked by this publication to explain as to why she failed to confirm killings and assaults of citizens by the police even in the midst of trending evidence.
On or around 13th May 2021, this Swaziland News exclusively reported that police allegedly killed Thabani Nkomonye, his body was dumped at Nhlambeni while his car was found hidden at Matsapha Police Station with a bullet hole. Police Spokesperson Phindile Vilakati denied that Nkomonye was killed by the police saying he died in a car accident adding that further investigations were ongoing. Government later appointed Senior Magistrate Nonhlanhla Dlamini as Coroner to investigate the circumstances surrounding Nkomonye death.
Eswatini, a tiny Kingdom situated in Southern Africa is facing growing calls for democratic reforms from both inside and outside the Tinkhundla system.
Police Spokesperson Phindile Vilakati