MBABANE: King Mswati has ordered the arrest of Lobamba Lomdzala Member of Parliament(MP) Marwick Khumalo shortly after failing to stop him from attending the United States(US) International Visitors Leadership Program(IVLP).
It has been disclosed that the command to investigate and arrest Khumalo was communicated to the Anti-Corruption Commission(ACC) last week.
The ACC is ‘defunct’ in eSwatini, however it is revived where a need arise to persecute critics of the ruling elite, Mswati uses the institution to persecute his political enemies.
A highly confidential memo written by ACC Commissioner Daniel Dlamini was addressed to the Attorney General(AG) Sifiso Khumalo’s office seeking some advice on the matter, details of the memo cannot be revealed for now as the matter was allocated to few high profile officers and revealing such details at this juncture might expose our sources.
Reached for comments, Marwick Khumalo, the Lobamba Lomdzala MP said he was not aware of the looming arrest but confirmed that his recent submissions in Parliament and the US trip might not have been received well by the ruling elite.
“For now I am not aware of the looming arrest but it’s important to clarify that I went to the US after receiving an assurance that there was no royal command stopping me. What I know is that some people within the ruling elite were not happy with my submissions in Parliament but I will not stop pushing for the interests of the people because I was elected by the people. We are not all appointees and we cannot be bias and dump the people in favour of the ruling elite. Where royalty has done good, we will applaud but we cannot praise royalty even when the ruling elite commits political blunders,” said the Lobamba Lomdzala MP.
A questionnaire was sent to Dan Dlamini, the Commissioner of the Anti-Corruption Commission(ACC), however, he had not responded at the time of compiling this report.
The political tension between Mswati and the vibrant MP escalated after Khumalo questioned the involvement of police officers in politics, he called for political solutions to resolve the ongoing political crisis amid killing of civilians and the shooting of police officers.
The King subsequently issued an order stopping Khumalo from travelling to the US, however, this was disputed by Government Spokesperson Alpheous Nxumalo in a public statement.
“In addition, MP Khumalo, in particular might have other stringent restrictions attached to his bail conditions as the Nation will recall that he is still facing a particular matter which the courts of the land are still seized with,” reads the statement released by the Government Spokesperson.
Reached for comments, the female Commander of the Underground Forces said any officer who would arrest the MP, would only breathe for two days thereafter.
“Ilula lena wena Nkhosi, lona lotawufaka bozankosi kuMarwick, ngimnika two days kuphela nje. It’s fine nangabe kushito Mswati, kodvwa lona lotawufaka labozankosi, two days kuphela nje Nkhosi(meaning: Those who will handcuff the MP will only live for two days.If the order came from Mswati, it’s fine but it’s only two days for any officer who will arrest Marwick Khumalo,” said the female Commander of the Underground Forces.
Elaborating further, the Commander said if the MP could be arrested, she would make sure that she kept the promise of giving the arresting officer the “two days”.
The female Commander was heading a team of members of the Solidarity Forces that invaded the home of the late alleged serial killer Deputy Commissioner Sam Mthembu, shot and killed police officer Thulani Mthembu.
It has been disclosed that Deputy Attorney General(AG) Mbuso Simelane and ACC investigating officer Sergeant Kheshe Dlamini were ordered to start the process of arresting the MP.
MP Marwick Khumalo was arrested in 2013 but the State failed to proceed with the case almost nine(9) years later due to lack of evidence.
The first arrest was allegedly ordered by Mswati through the late Prime Minister Sibusiso Barnabas Dlamini.
It came after the MP vigorously lobbied other MPs to demand answers from Barnabas regarding the switching-off and stopping of SPTC ONE mobile gadgets that were affordable to Swazis.
The late PM was subsequently slapped with a vote of no confidence that was rejected by King Mswati.
Even though Khumalo was not present inside Parliament during the passing of the vote of no confidence, it is alleged that PM Barnabas suspected that, due to his political power, Khumalo influenced other MPs to try and oust him.
The late PM’s influence over the ACC was subsequently exposed after the PM wrote a letter to the Commonwealth Secretariat facilitating a meeting between the then ACC Commissioner Advocate Thanda Mngwengwe and the then Director of Public Prosecution(DPP) now Judge Nkosinathi Maseko.
This was in the midst of an alleged politically motivated investigation into the misappropriation of funds of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association(CPA) Swaziland.
MP Khumalo was saved by Dr William F Shija, the late Secretary General of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association(CPA) who refused to assist Mswati and his Prime Minister in the politically motivated investigation.
King Mswati and Marwick Khumalo.