MBABANE: Mlungisi Makhanya, the President of the People’s United Democratic Movement(PUDEMO) is wanted dead by King Mswati’s senior police officers.
The threats were allegedly issued by Manzini Regional Commissioner Elvis Mashwama Shabangu during a briefing of police officers in Manzini this week.
“The Regional Commissioner stated categorically that if he could meet Mlungisi Makhanya, he will shoot him, this was during a briefing meeting of police officers,” said a police insider.
Reached for comments, resigned police officer Sergeant Cebile Shongwe confirmed that the Regional Commissioner was used to killing citizens.
“The Regional Commissioner was working under the Criminal Investigation Department(CID) where people are killed, he killed many people with other officers like Clement Sihlongonyane. So he was talking about something he can easily do without consequences from the State,” she said.
A questionnaire was sent to the Manzini Regional Commissioner, however, he had not responded at the time of compiling this report.
As reported by this Swaziland News, the police are suspecting Mlungisi Makhanya to be one of the masterminds and or the Commander of the pro-democracy Swaziland International Solidarity Forces(SISF).
A warrant of arrest was issued against him, however, it was subsequently kept under wraps and the State controlled media was allegedly ordered to report that it never existed in order to lure the PUDEMO President.
Reached for comments,PUDEMO President Mlungisi Makhanya said he was not shaken by the threats adding that freedom fighters always walked in the shadow of death.
“We have read and independently verified that indeed the Regional Commissioner - Mr Shabangu uttered the unfortunate statement. We are unshaken by such threats, because as freedom fighters and revolutionaries we are always alive to the fact that we walk in the shadow of death or imprisonment. What we can ask from the members of the community who might have Mr Shabangu's picture, is to please furnish us with it so that we may know him too. It is obviously unfair that he knows us and is actively hunting us yet we do not know him. Justice always requires the equality of arms!!”, said the PUDEMO President.
Manzini Regional Commissioner Elvis Mashwama Shabangu.