By Zweli Martin Dlamini

When Lieutenant General Mashikilisane Fakudze, the newly appointed Army Commander defended King Mswati saying he never issued any order to shoot and kill dozens of civilians, he was actually confirming that citizens were killed.

As per the principles of investigation, the Army Commander’s sentiments created reasonable suspicion that crimes against humanity were allegedly committed by soldiers.

But Lieutenant General Fakudze was desperate to defend Mswati without noticing that in the process, he was incriminating the army.

It should be noted that in his speech, Lieutenant Fakudze confirmed the participation of soldiers in the military operation during the political unrest that resulted in the massacre, his main intention was to defend Mswati while providing founding evidence for international investigators who are following the ongoing killing of civilians with huge interest.

Even though Lieutenant General Mashikilisane Fakudze was not the Army Commander at the time when the citizens were killed, he was part of the Executive Command by virtue of being a Deputy to then Army Commander Jeffery Shabalala.

Therefore, the sentiments of Army Commander Mashikilisane Fakudze created a base for local and international investigators who are following this matter, a mere denial by an Acting Commander who was confirmed a few minutes after ‘cleaning’ Mswati cannot save the King from the wrath of the International Criminal Court(ICC).

It should be noted that the mere fact that the police and soldiers who killed civilians were not arrested is a clear indication that the person who issued the order is above the law.

Indeed, if Mswati was not involved, as a Head of State, he was supposed to launch an investigation and arrest the criminals who massacred his people.

In light of the aforementioned and in conclusion, it is therefore important to state that Lieutenant General Mashikilisane Fakudze’s sentiments incriminated the army including himself, no amount of propaganda will ever clean Mswati from these crimes against humanity.