By Zweli Martin Dlamini

LOBAMBA: Themba Ginindza, the Ludzidzini Royal Palace Governor said they were training their own squad to burn political activists including their properties if the burning of structures continued in the country.

This is contained in an ‘intercepted’ cellphone conversation where the Governor was discussing national issues with another Swazi amid reports suggesting that unknown people burnt the home of KaLiba(Hosea) Indvuna yeMbali on Friday evening.

“We are also training our squad to burn them and their properties as well. Oh! they have burnt, if you know SWALIMO members in your area, just burn their properties as well. Akushiswane-ke sitobona kutsi ngubani longeke akhaliswe ngumlilo,” said the Governor.

This electronic evidence implicating the Governor in what Government describes as terrorism, forms part of a series of other electronic evidence released by this Swaziland News, linking Mswati and his loyalists in the killing of civilians during the ongoing political unrest.

But even before the political unrest, Mswati’s brother Prince Simelane, the Housing and Urban Development Minister uttered similar sentiments inside Parliament, urging security officers to “fight fire with fire”.

A questionnaire was sent to Governor Themba Ginindza where he was asked to respond to the allegations, however, he had not responded at the time of compiling this report.

The sentiments from the Governor confirm a report by this publication suggesting that the King ordered the burning of structures belonging to political activists.

Reached for comments, human rights lawyer Thulani Rudolf Maseko, the Chairperson of the MultiStakeholder Forum said the sentiments of the Governor that perpetuate violence were uncalled for.

“You can’t target political activists just because they are activists, political activists are not involved in violence.This ‘eye for an eye’ as commanded by the King himself will escalate the violence in the country.The only thing that can diffuse violence is a political dialogue, we need to sit down and talk,” said the MSF Chairperson.

On another note, Mswati’s Government has been speaking about a political dialogue while training security forces to shoot, kill and burn properties for political activists.