... says they were forced into Eswatini under barrel of guns

MBABANE - Thabo Kunene claims that together with his co-accused, Sibusiso Nkomonye, they were driven to Eswatini by three police officers who then forced them to enter the kingdom under a barrel of guns.

He alleged that at about 8pm to 9pm, one Qiniso Nkomonye ordered them to stand and he proceeded to cut the cable ties from them and replaced them with new ones. Kunene said he saw a white GD6 double cab, white in colour, with a registration number ending with GP. Kunene contended that inasmuch as it was at night, there was light and the house was burglar proofed and the door was opened but the burglar doors were locked.

“The car parked near the doorsteps.

“I saw Thabo Hlophe -the Regional Crime Branch Officer who is based at Manzini Regional Headquarters, and Clement Sihlongonyane -Senior Superintendent, from the Police Headquarters Mbabane in Eswatini.

Double

“They are both senior officers in the Royal Eswatini Police Service (REPS) in the Kingdom of Eswatini. They came out on the back doors of the double cab,” alleged Kunene.

He alleged that Hlophe and Sihlongonyane were armed with pistols. According to Kunene, the duo of Hlophe and Sihlongonyane is well-known to him. Kunene went on to claim that Dr Mkhulu told them that the police officers from Eswatini had come to collect them. He alleged that the cable ties were removed and they were both tied with wires.

“I and my colleague/accused boarded the white car and we were squeezed at the back seat and sandwiched between Thabo Hlophe and Clement Sihlongonyane. I know these two police officers who arrested me because I had worked with them before in Eswatini. Andile Nkomonye/ Dr Mkhulu was leading the police car all the way and the latter paid all the tollgate fees, also for the police, along the way,” reads part of Kunene’s affidavit.

He said they drove to Carolina at 3am on June 1, 2023. Kunene narrated that at the Carolina Filling Station, the car was refuelled and Hlophe paid for the fuel.

Secretly

He alleged that Dr Mkhulu, Sihlongonyane and Hlophe left them inside the car and had some discussions secretly, about 50 metres away from the car. He related that they then proceeded with their journey and Dr Mkhulu disappeared from the convoy. Kunene related that while at Warburton in South Africa, the police car stopped and the two senior police officers had a discussion.