By Bongiwe Dlamini

PRETORIA:Mlungisi Makhanya, the President of eSwatini’s main and largest political party, the People’s United Democratic Movement(PUDEMO), has reported certain alleged agents of the Tinkhundla regime within the Mass Democratic Movement(MDM) to the police for accusing him of killing former warder Bheka Magagula.

In a statement released on Friday and sent to this Swaziland News, Penuel Malinga, the Secretary General confirmed that, a criminal case has been opened adding that, this will now enable the police to work on the matter and engage those with evidence particularly the accusers.

“Ever since the disappearance and egregious killing of Bheka some have made claims that they received distressed calls from the late Bheka claiming to be attacked by the “dogs of President Makhanya”. Instead of using whatever information they purported to have responsibly and judiciously, the said individuals chose to embark on a public crusade to malign and accuse the President of PUDEMO amongst others of having engineered the abduction and killing of Bheka”, he said.

The Secretary General said,this malicious public campaign has caused tremendous reputational harm and damage to the image and integrity of the President, PUDEMO leaders, and the party as a whole for which there must be accountability and consequence management.

“The President appealed to the organization to resist the temptation to immediately respond to the slander and allow the preparations and burial of Bheka to take place in a dignified manner and without the controversy that his accusers were steering up in the public domain,especially on social media. It was this deep desire to see a respectful sending off of Cde Bheka, in line with customary laws and the usual decorum afforded to deceasedpersons, that the President resolved to act only after the burial.Yesterday, the 24th October 2024, PUDEMO President opened a formal criminal case with the South African Police Service (SAPS) at PRETORIA MOOT POLICE STATION, reference number CAS 198/10/2024”, he added.

On another note, Malinga said following hours of combing through the plethora of evidence against the President’s accusers and in appreciating the correlation between the ATTEMPTED MURDER Case following his poisoning and the case he opened yesterday, the President and the South African Police Services decided that it would serve justice best if the case is to be transferred to SILVERTON POLICE STATION where the poisoning case was opened on the 23rd September 2024.

“It is important to note that the President’s support team has already gone through all the public social media postings, group and private WhatsApp messages that accused the President of having been behind the commission of this gruesome crime. The identification of all the culprits involved and online platforms used to peddle these nefarious allegations has been done and these have accordingly been listed in the President’s case”, said the PUDEMO Secretary General.

Makhanya was allegedly accused of killing Bheka Magagula in what appeared to be a coordinated social media campaign against him and PUDEMO by the Tinkhundla regime and its agents within the Mass Democratic Movement(MDM).