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King’s police touring and hit squad profiles: Meet Assistant Superintendent Derrick Makhanya

Friday, 20th March, 2020

MBABANE:As we continue profiling the security agents behind the massive human rights violations in the Kingdom of eSwatini, today we bring you Assistant Superintendent Derrick Makhanya. He is the Desk Officer at Mbabane Police Station and sometimes went undercover to execute royal assignment, tracing the identities of political activists who are critics of King Mswati.

This include conducting background checks including their residential addresses so they can easily be targeted.

Makhanya, despite serving as Desk Officer at Mbabane Police Station also works under cover with the Executive Command of the Tingcungculu torturing and hit squad.

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

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 Derrick Makhanya
Assistant Superintendent Derrick Makhanya