I was surprised when Mbabane Principal Magistrate Fikile Nhlabatsi presided over my matter and subsequently issued a warrant of arrest in a politically motivated case knowing very well that she was conflicted.
Two Magistrates recused themselves in my matters,one being Simo Simelane, who was my lawyer, and the other being Sifiso Vilakati, whose justification was that he might secure land at LaMgabhi eTiyeni and be my neighbor.
After learning that about 90% of the Magistrates were known to me either personally or professional level and not willing to take up my cases as per judicial code of conduct,the regime approached Principal Magistrate Fikile Nhlabatsi, who signed the warrant without disclosing that she was my client under Zwemart Investigators.
Nhlabatsi was also a middle person during the political fight between the then-Justice Minister Sibusiso Shongwe and Prime Minister Barnabas Sibusiso Dlamini.
It’s very disturbing to note that Prime Minister Barnabas Dlamini was calling me almost every day,but I preferred to be arrested while protecting the information of my high-profile clients only for Nhlabatsi to behave unethically.
Fikile Nhlabatsi, the then Registrar of the High Court, knows very well that she cannot preside over my cases as per the judicial code of conduct; she failed to do a simple thing,recused herself.
It should be noted that not a single day did Principal Magistrate Fikile Nhlabatsi see anything that we discussed in confidence in the public domain; this means I am able to draw the line between my previous duties as a private investigator and an investigative journalist.
Perhaps,I could have hired a lawyer, signed an affidavit, and challenged the warrant of arrest by Magistrate Fikile Nhlabatsi, but my affidavit could end up exposing information I don’t want the public to know because it was shared with me in confidence in my capacity as a private investigator, not an investigative journalist.
Therefore, I am urging Nhlabatsi to find ways of recusing herself from my matters voluntarily.
I don’t have a problem with that politically motivated warrant of arrest because it would be very hard to enforce it but,it must be signed by another magistrate not Fikile Nhlabatsi.
Principal Magistrate Fikile Nhlabatsi.