By Zweli Martin Dlamini

The new police promotions announced by King Mswati’s suggest that finally, former Senator Isaac Magagula, the ex-National Commissioner’s mafia within the police service has fallen.

Magagula was operating through the late Deputy Commissioner Sam Mthembu, retired Senior Deputy Commissioner Richard Mngometulu and Sula Dlamini among others.

This was the mafia that was causing division within the police service so that the King could see National Commissioner William Dlamini as a failure and recall Magagula who close to eighty(80) years now, at eighty(80), Isaac Magagula thinks he has the capacity to think properly and lead a police organization.

The former National Commissioner, together with the late Sam Mthembu and Barnabas Dlamini allegedly killed the late PUDEMO member Sipho Jele.

The political activist was killed after Mswati’s “abekhanywe” Sibaya speech and Isaac Magagula did this, just to gain trust from the King that he was capable of dealing with “terrorists”.

As a result, Mswati was misled into believing that Magagula was indeed a trusted National Commissioner of Police when in fact, the corrupt old man was abusing power,messing-up the police organization. 

Magagula took advantage that Mswati was angry after surviving a bomb attack at Lozitha Bridge that exploded prematurely, killing Musa MJ Dlamini and Jack Govender, the members of an underground unit with alleged links to the People’s United Democratic Movement(PUDEMO).

As a result, the then National Commissioner of Police Isaac Magagula started killing PUDEMO members including Sipho Jele, who was killed merely for wearing a t-shirt belonging to his political organization.

As mentioned, he did this to demonstrate that he was the perfect National Commissioner.

But, after winning the hearts of the authorities, of course not by merit but by killing political activists, Magagula started to be power drunk and messed-up the police organization.

It was Isaac Magagula who lied to Mswati and made him to approve the appointment of more than ten(10) Deputy Commissioners, saying he was benchmarking with the Southern African Development Community(SADC) policing standards.

Monies budgeted by government to increase salaries for junior officers, was allegedly looted by Isaac Mmemo Magagula through the promotions and this resulted to a rebellion within the police service.

Junior police officers protested, demanding a salary increment under Phase two(2).

Magagula was a direct beneficiary of the promotions that resulted to the police service having over ten(10) useless Deputy National Commissioners, some of these senior positions were literally redundant.

But, the senior officers were getting paid monies sourced from public funds and share a certain percentage with Magagula through alleged bribes.

With the over ten(10) Deputy Commissioners, Magagula was creating his ‘mafia’ within the Police Service, he continued to control the law enforcement through his gang even after being removed and appointed a Senator. 

The whole police organization was divided because of Magagula and his corrupt gang, maybe a Commission of Inquiry should be established so that he can explain why he recommended that the King must appoint over ten(10) Deputy Commissioners.

With trust, Mswati went on to appoint the Deputy Commissioners and further elevated him from being a Police Commissioner to “National Commissioner,” in all this, he literally lied to the King that this was SADC policing standards.

A National Commissioner can only be relevant in a ‘big’ country like South Africa with “Provincial Commissioners”, a Provincial Legislature and Cabinet with a Provincial Commissioner not a tiny Kingdom like eSwatini.

It is very unfortunate that other senior police officers were turned into Isaac Magagula’s Intelligence Officers, they were gathering information and report straight to Isaac.

Even details of meetings of the Executive Command where reported to Isaac Magagula by his alleged spies that include retired Deputy Commissioner Richard Mngometulu.

I was once summoned into a meeting by a team of senior police officers led by the then Deputy Commissioner Richard Mngomezulu.

We met in a Chinese restaurant at The Gables-Ezulwini and I was forced to share more information about  Magagula’s corrupt dealings as my articles were exposing such.

Thereafter, Richard Mngometulu went straight to Isaac Magagula to report that they met and interviewed me, he told him that was in possession of critical information about him, this was done by whole national law enforcement institution.

Magagula went as far as creating fake murder charges against police officer Lucky Obama Matsetjwa, just because Matsetjwa had critical information linking him to the finger-prints scandal.

Shame on you Isaac Magagula and your mafia!!!.