By Musa Mdluli

MBABANE:The police officers who arrested SwaziMed Chief Executive Officer(CEO) Peter ‘Samora’ Simelane on contempt of court charges alleged that,he tried to call Defense Principal Secretary Prince Sicalo and Deputy Prime Minister(DPM) Thulisile Dladla on Saturday but,both of them avoided calls and were nowhere to be found.

It has been disclosed that, the matter was subsequently handled by another Department within the Police Service as Assistant Mbabane Station Commander Sifiso ‘Nuro’ Ntibane, the ex-Sihlangu Assistant Coach who worked Simelane in his capacity as the Eswatini Football Association(EFA) President, was avoiding to arrest the SwaziMed CEO.

Upon arrival to effect the arrest, the police alleged that, Simelane asked to first call Prince Sicalo, the PS in the Ministry of Defense and State Security who avoided his calls, he then tried to call DPM Thuli Dladla who also declined his calls. 

The police arrested and subsequently told the SwaziMed CEO that, “he was at the mercy of Judge Titus Mlangeni who will decide whether he is granted bail or not”.

Simelane appeared in court again on Monday after being arrested on Saturday, he stands accused of defying a court order directing him not to terminate Medical Aid for Eswatini Bank employees.

But a source very close to the matter told this Swaziland News on Monday that, the matter and ongoing troubles involving Simelane were consistently reported in the media and, it then became difficult for those in power to protect him. 

“It is often said that, royalty does not have permanent friends but permanent interests. This matter escalated and the Tinkhundla regime was not prepared to be seen defying court orders because in as much as royalty controls the courts, they don’t want that to be open and be seen even by ordinary people and the international community. So they decided to dump and sacrifice ‘Samora’ so that it could appear as if court orders are respected. The very same DPM who disappeared and failed to stop the arrest was the one who was assisting the SwaziMed CEO to defy another court order stopping the AGM by unleashing police officers to protect Simelane, never trust these people from and, those who work with the royal family.Batakushiya enkingeni wedvwa. Kumele nawusebenta nabo wati kutsi they are not your friends, bafuna loku labakufunako, waba senkingeni they disappear, tsine siyasebenta nabo but siyabati” said a source within the corridors of power.

But it remains unclear what business interests Prince Sicalo have at SwaziMed as he was not immediately available for a comment.

Peter ‘Samora’ Simelane, the SwaziMed CEO is expected back in court on Tuesday in another contempt of court matter and apart from the Eswatini Bank Medical Aid matter that landed him in jail, he allegedly defied another court order issued by Judge Ticheme Dlamini, stopping the SwaziMed Annual Shareholders Meeting.