MBABANE: Pheanius Ndzimandze, a soldier based at the Transport Department within the Royal Guard was allegedly involved in a car accident on Monday around 12noon, his body was picked on the road by other members of the military allegedly at Mfabantfu.
Preliminary investigations were conducted by this Swaziland News after Government officials claimed he was killed in the midst of the ongoing violence and the findings suggest that Ndzimandze was actually admitted at the Raleigh Fitkin Memorial Hospital(RFM) and later discharged. But senior Governement insiders had already confirmed him dead saying he died in the midst of the ongoing protests, something that was quickly disputed by political activists.
Reached for comments,Lucky Lukhele, the Spokesperson of the Swaziland Solidarity Network(SSN) described the car accident as a staged scene by the regime to try and mislead the world that citizens were also killing soldiers in eSwatini.
“This is an insult by the regime to the relatives of the people who have been killed by the soldiers, they are now spreading misleading information that a soldier has been killed, something that is not true”, said the SSN Spokesperson.
When this publication tried to trace the royal guard, his colleagues confirmed that he was alive.
“He got an accident while approaching Mfabantfu corner and lost control of the car, but he is alive hhayi lama civil lacala emanga” ,said a member of the royal guard.
But it appeared that the picture raised more suspicions since it didn't show blood, insiders within the civil society revealed that Government was under pressure trying to justify the ongoing killings of civilians to the international community. Furthermore, it appeared that the body of the soldier was picked next to his gun.
Efforts to reach Tengetile Khumalo, the Spokesperson the Umbutfo Eswatini Defense Force(UEDF) proved unsuccessful at the time of compiling this report, she was called several times.
Reached for comments, Senator Thulie Dladla, the Foreign Affairs Minister said she was not aware that a soldier has been killed not to mention the car accident.
“Bengisengakayiva vele(I am not aware of the matter” ,she said.
The Minister said she hoped this situation of fear and uncertainty would quickly pass so that people could live their normal lives adding that under the current situation, the country remains in the midst of uncertainty.
Another effort was made to reach the soldier after his colleagues who were contacted by this publication claimed they were next to him, however, those efforts proved unsuccessful.
a body of soldier was picked on the road.