MPAKA: Dumsani Mgwazo Tsabedze, the soldier who was killed by King Mswati’s police allegedly told two children to hide under the car as police fired a hail of bullets towards them.
Tsabedze was traveling with Thandekile Kunene(22) and two children aged fifteen(15) when they discovered a safe within the premises of the Mpaka Shopping Complex after an alleged break-in by unknown people.
Police camped next to the Complex waiting for anyone who would pick the safe and subsequently opened fire, killing the two.
Police Spokesperson Superintendent Phindile Vilakati later accused the victims of being suspects in the break-in, two children who survived the shooting were subsequently charged.
Reached for comments, Siboniso Mkhabela, the Head of International Relations of the People’s United Democratic Movement(PUDEMO) who was mandated to speak on behalf of the family confirmed that the soldier protected the two children.
“When we asked the children how they survived the shooting, they told us the soldier protected them by pushing them under the car. Batsi lelisotja lafusha labantfwana labafaka langaphansi kwalemoto latsi abalale phansi. Lase lona liphakamisa tandla lizama kukhombisa lamaphoyisa kutsi alikahlomi lasho nekusho kutsi lilisotja, achubeka emaphoyisa akhalisa inhlavu(meaning: The soldier pushed the children under the car, raised his hands and tried to reason with the police but they killed him,” said the PUDEMO Head of International Relations.
It has been disclosed that one of the children who witnessed the killing of Thandekile Kunene and the soldier subsequently suffered a mental breakdown and was rushed to the Psychiatric Centre, Manzini on Sunday evening.
The late Dumsani Mgwazo Tsabedze.