MBABANE: Sibusiso Nhlabatsi, a highly regarded human rights lawyer says Senior Superintendent Sihlongonyane has found himself in serious danger after taking unlawful orders.
This comes after this Swaziland News approached the lawyer for a comment amid reports suggesting that junior police officers were scrambling to shoot and kill the senior cop for persecuting their Secretary General (SG) Sergeant Dumsile Khumalo.
The SG of the Police Staff Association was persecuted by Senior Superintendent Clement Sihlongonyane merely for demanding a salary increment for junior officers, Sihlongonyane prepared a warrant of arrest against Sergeant Khumalo.
“It seems like when Sihlongonyane executes his duties,he acts on orders but we must ask ourselves if those orders were lawful or not lawful. We know that police officers act on orders but it is the right of every officer to refuse to execute unlawful orders that might bring the administration of justice and the image of the police service into disrepute. Furthermore, the unlawful order might place the life of that particular officer in danger. Sihlongonyane might feel being targeted now yet the people have concluded that he is acting personally to target people. Once the people conclude that you are targeting them, they will find ways to revenge. We are not saying revenging is lawful but in situations like this where people feel defenseless,they then find ways to protect themselves. Sihlongonyane must draw the line between lawful and unlawful orders and if he did that before, he wouldn’t be in this situation,” said the highly regarded human rights lawyer.
Now, this publication in possession of information suggesting that one of the officers has already paid for an unlicensed pistol, the officer promised to share the story with this publication shortly completing the mission.
Sihlongonyane is now wanted dead by both the police and members of the Swaziland International Solidarity Forces(SISF).
“We would have long finished him, problem is that we don’t want to use service guns, we wanted to buy unlicensed,not traceable pistols.It’s not only me who want to shoot him, we agreed as officers that anyone who will get him first must shoot,” said the junior officer.
This publication previously reported and produced audio messages where angry police officers who were allegedly armed, organized themselves, to save their Secretary General Dumsile Khumalo who was being harassed by Clement Sihlongonyane.
A questionnaire was sent to Senior Superintendent Sihlongonyane, however, he had not responded at the time of compiling this report.
On another note, the Senior Superintendent who allegedly killed dozens of civilians was attacked and survived bullets by Solidarity Forces, according to insiders within the Underground Unit, he remains on the wanted list.
Senior Superintendent Clement Sihlongonyane.