By Mduduzi Hlophe

MPUMALANGA: Prince Sicalo Nkopolo Dlamini has offered to pay seventy thousand(R70,000.00) as security for legal costs in the matter between him, editor Zweli Martin Dlamini and this Swaziland News.

This comes after the editor filed an application at the Mpumalanga High Court in terms of Rule 47(1) demanding that the Prince pay R150,000.00 security of legal costs by close of business on Wednesday(15 December 2021).

The application forms part of the editor’s responding papers to an application filed by the Prince where he was seeking to interdict this publication from publishing what he described as private information about him.

This comes after this publication exposed how the Prince crossed the Oshoek border to allegedly meet other State security agents with an alleged intention of smuggling guns to be used in the ongoing shooting and killing of civilians, details of the travel including Sicalo’s passport numbers and a motor vehicle registration number were published.

“We refer to the Notice in Terms of Rule 47(1) dated 15 December 2021 and served electronically on our offices on the same day at 11H41. In the said Notice, you demand security in the amount of R150,000.00 to be furnished by our client by close of business on 15 December 2021.We wish to record that we have not been able to take full instruction from our client in this regard. We, however, are of the view that your demand is excessive. In light of the aforesaid and the extremely short notice given to our client to provide such security, we tender the amount of R70,000.00. We undertake that the amount of R70,000.00 will be held on trust on our client’s behalf”, read a letter from Mathopo Attorneys sent to the editor’s lawyers.

Senior Advocate Myron Dewyance, Advocate Karusha Pillay and lawyer Bukhosi Sibanda are defending the editor and this publication and they are expected to respond the Prince’s lawyers on behalf of their clients and indicate whether they accepting the offer or not.

The urgent matter where Prince Sicalo is seeking an interdict against this publication will he heard on Thursday at the Mpumalanga High Court.