By Mduduzi Hlophe

MBABANE: A security officer has recorded an interview with this publication revealing how police were secretly ordered to kidnap, kill Swaziland News editor and dump his body in South Africa.

The officer agreed to record the interview but said it should not be publicized for now until he skips the country like Sergeant Cebile ‘Cece’ Shongwe who resigned on the 13th August 2021.

Speaking during the interview,the officer said police were given a double cab car from the Ministry of Agriculture to trace the editor until he was in a place where he could be kipnapped without many people noticing.

“This was planned after you were arrested and kept at Lobamba, a police officer was planted at the Police Station to give you poisoned food but failed. It was then agreed that in the event you are released, you must be kidnapped, killed and your body be dumped on the South African side of the border so that it could appear as if you died in that country. Fortunately, you decided to leave while the operation was ongoing”, said the security officer when speaking to the editor.

The names of the officers who were part of the operation cannot be revealed for now for ethical reasons.

Efforts to reach Princess Sikhanyiso proved unsuccessful at the time of compiling this report.

But on 06 February 2020, a few hours before the arrest of the editor, Princess Sikhanyiso sent a threatening message to Dlamini telling him that he would regret. This was after the editor published a story exposing how Princess Sikhanyiso, the Communications Minister was plotting to remove the late Prime Minister Ambrose Dlamini from office, the Princess accused the PM of being the editor’s role model. 

In the text message, she threatened both the Prime Minister and the editor, the PM subsequently died mysteriously allegedly after testing positive to COVID-19 according to a Government press statement.

“You clearly are aiming for political imprisonment but in sympathy, I say, no one will turn you into a hero, Mr Dlamini. You are not becoming a martyr: no one is going to kill you, sorry bru. You and your role model shall remain cognizant of only one thing: laSomhlolo leli, utatilila”, read the text message sent by the Princess and directed to the editor.

Shortly, after skipping the country, the editor told the Voice of America(VOA) radio station that there was a plot to assassinate him. However, that was disputed by Government Spokesperson Sabelo Dlamini who was also given a platform by the Times of Swaziland to deny the allegations.

The Times did not contact the editor to share and or provide more evidence substantiating the assassination plot allegations but merely defended Government.