By Zweli Martin Dlamini

MHLUME:King Mswati linked Royal Eswatini Sugar Corporation(RESC) continues to use State police officers as security guards.

Recently,police officers were seen being transported by a ForHim Security Company vehicle after reporting for duty, the police are guarding water pumps.

The new evidence comes after this Swaziland News contacted Nick Jackson, the Managing Director of the Royal Eswatini Sugar Corporation(RESC)who denied that the company was using State police officers as security guards.

“It is not true that we are using the police to provide security for our pump stations. We have our own private security company for that”, said the RESC Managing Director.

But evidence in our possession in a form of pictures substantiates that indeed,the company uses armed police officers from Tshaneni Police Station as their security guards.

But apart from the photographic evidence revealing the police officers being picked by the sugar company’s car to their workstation, this publication is in possession of circumstantial evidence linked to the Tshaneni Police Station where the officers were recorded in a police occurrence book before and after reporting for duty at the Mhlume Royal Eswatini Sugar Corporation(RESC).

A questionnaire was sent to William Tsintsibala Dlamini, the National Commissioner, however, he had not responded at the time of compiling this report.

Reached for comments, lawyer Thulani Maseko, the Chairperson of the Multi-Stakeholder Forum(MSF) said it was against the law to use police officers and disguise them as security guards.

“The police institution was established through the Police Act, it’s mandate is governed by the Act and this include detecting crime and assisting the prosecution to bring perpetrators of crime to the justice system.They are also expected to provide the State with security for purposes of maintaining public order and governance.One would not expect that members of the police service would be used to disguise as private security guards, that appears to be  inconsistent with the law,” said the Chairperson of the Multi-Stakeholder Forum.

Reached for comments earlier,Lucky Ngubane, the Managing Director of ForHim Security Services said he doesn’t speak on matters involving the company.

“It’s better for you to contact the company, I can’t comment on this”,he said.

The Royal Eswatini Sugar Corporation(RESC) is a company allegedly linked to King Mswati through Tibiyo TakaNgwane.