NKOMAZI:Sonnyboy Magongo was among eight(8) security guards who were tortured by soldiers at the Nkomazi river banks for allegedly stealing the Green Chert mineral,eye witnesses told this Swaziland News.
It is alleged that,the soldiers were unleashed by Michael Lee,an alleged Taiwan national and Director of the Malolotja Mine after suspecting that,the security guards were stealing the mineral.
The incident happened on Monday at the loading site situated at the Nkomazi river banks, the Green Chert mineral is mined at Malolotja and then transported to the Nkomazi loading site before being exported.
A video that was taken at a distance show the alleged soldiers forcing the security guards to roll on the ground as part of the punishment and/or torture,the video that was sent to this publication,cannot be released as the source feared that,the soldiers might identity the angle of video and remember who took it.
Reached for comments on Thursday afternoon, Sonnyboy Magongo asked this journalist how he got the information.
“Who gave you this information”,he asked before refusing to comment.
Efforts to reach Michael Lee,the Director of the mine,proved unsuccessful at the time of compiling this report.
Army Spokesperson Lieutenant Tengetile Khumalo declined to comment about the incident.
Reached for comments on Friday morning,Frank Mncina,the Secretary General of the
Swaziland Amalgamation of Trade Union(SATU) condemned the army for torturing the security guards,he accused the soldiers of being behind the theft of the mineral.
“What normally happens there is that,these soldiers are grabbing and illegally selling the mineral. So you may find that the security guards were tortured because the soldiers wanted the mineral for the themselves.You will understand that, amid the financial struggles in the country these days,illegal deals form part of the means for survival.I am not saying the security guards were right but,torture is wrong”, said the Secretary General of the trade union for security guards.
Nkomazi river banks.