MBABANE: Former Minister of Tourism Musa Nkambule, the Chairman of Sive Siyinqaba ‘Sibahle Sinje’ has been forced to flee his home around mid-night yesterday, he is wanted by the police as the royal pressure to oust King Mswati intensify.
Sive Siyinqaba is a political party dominated by powerful members of the royal family who are collectively working towards forcing King Mswati to hand over power to the people and transform the country into multi-party democracy.
Nkambule, when speaking to this Swaziland News confirmed that police wanted to arrest him for the statement he released on behalf of his political party, he now appeals to the international community to protect him. The press statement that is now subject of a police investigation was subsequently published by this publication on the 9thNovember 2019. The Chairman said a battalion of police officers arrived at his home at Mafutseni around 4pm yesterday (Sunday) and upon seeing them, he immediately locked himself in the house.
“They then heavily assaulted my wife who was refusing to give them the house keys. When I asked them their mission, they said it was in connection with the statement I released on behalf of Sibanje Sinje, but they failed to produce an arrest warrant. They camped in my home and left around 8pm and that was when I managed to escape. I am now in hiding while consulting with the other members on the way forward.” he said.
An independent investigation by this publication gathered information suggesting that this was a joint operation conducted by police officers from Manzini and Mafutseni, it was led by Superintendent Clement Sihlongonyane.
The Sive Siyinqaba Chairman confirmed that indeed the police officers were from Manzini and Mafutseni.
Reached for comments, National Commissioner of Police William’Tsintsibala’ Dlamini was very diplomatic in his response, he said police officers within the regions work independently hence he was not be aware of this operation as nothing has been formally reported to him.
“Nothing has been formally reported to me Mlangeni, the police in the regions work independently hence I am not aware of what they have done so far regarding the matter you are asking” he said.
But senior sources within the royal political party told this Swaziland News that the attempt by the police to arrest their Chairman will definitely escalate the tension as they stand by their statement.
“The Chairman made the statement on behalf of ‘Sibahle Sinje’ and we stand by our statement. This is our statement not Musa’s statement hence they must arrest all the members of Sibanje. We have been protecting the King, thinking those who criticize him are being disrespectful but now we can see that things are not going right. As a result, our position was very clear in the statement” said an insider within the political party.
King Mswati III