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I PAID E30 000 TO SOLDIER

By BONGIWE DLAMINI | 2024-07-01

THE kombi owner-turned driver who was shot allegedly by a member of Umbutfo Eswatini Defence Force (UEDF) claims he paid E30 000 as a fine as per the suspected soldier’s request.

Mncedisi Tembe (43) of Mhlambanyatsi area said he paid the money in March this year, which he has alleged was about three months after the soldier had kidnapped him. Tembe confirmed that the soldier had accused him of being romantically involved with his wife, which he vehemently denied.

Tembe was on Friday evening shot in the face allegedly by the soldier in full view of his passengers. He had his last load of commuters from Mbabane to Mhlambanyatsi when he was blocked at Hydro bus stop by the soldier who is alleged to have drawn a gun which he fired once at Tembe’s face.

The bullet went through the right cheek and injured his jaws. Fortunately, he managed to run for cover, abandoning the kombi and some passengers on the side of the road. Meanwhile, the soldier allegedly fled the scene.

Speaking from his hospital bed at Mbabane Government Hospital, Tembe said the soldier approached him last year, making allegations about him dating his wife. He explained that the woman in question is a vendor who sells food along the Mbabane-Mhlambanyatsi route, who he usually buys food from. He stated that he was not in a relationship with her, and did not even have her cellphone number. “The soldier asked why I had called his wife the previous night, and I explained that someone had promised to leave something for me with her, so I wanted to make pick-up arrangements. I got her cellphone number from her worker on a day she was not at her food stall. If we had been in a relationship before then, I would have had her number prior to this,” stated Tembe. He added that when he was approached by the soldier who claimed that a lot of people had informed him about their bond back in December, Tembe said he explained himself, but he could hear none of it. Instead, he alleged that the soldier kidnapped him from Mantabeni and drove him to several army bases where he was heavily assaulted not only by the said soldier, but his colleagues as well.

“At around 5pm, he and his colleagues said they were going to kill me at Mbuluzi Army Barracks. As we were headed to Mbuluzi, there was a total of six Toyota Hilux GD6 vehicles,” relayed Tembe.

Fortunately for him, he said the vehicle he was being driven in got stuck alomg the way. He claimed that he managed to bolt out of the vehicle and went into hiding. Further, Tembe said he later went to Zulwini Police Post where he reported the incident.

“The police suggested that we reconcile with the soldier and his superior and my family were present when the police engaged us,” said the 43-year-old.

“After explaining to all of them thenI was only his wife’s customer, the soldier, in the presence of the police, my family and his superior, said in order for him to forgive me I should pay a fine of six cows. “Although I knew I did not wrong him in any way, I still paid him the E30 000 in March this year because I wanted peace,” Tembe explained and further said he had proof of this payment.

It was for this reason that the recent shooting incident, that happened on Friday evening, took him aback.

He fled to SA after kidnapping

MNCEDISI Tembe says after he narrowly escaped death in December last year, he fled to South Africa where he stayed for a month.

The recovering Tembe explained that he owned two kombis, adding that he also drove one of them that services the Mbabane-Mhlambanyatsi route.

However, after he was allegedly kidnapped in December and his predicament was deliberated on at the police post, he decided to take a break from work and went to live in South Africa for a month.

Even after he returned to the country in February, he said his brother suggested that he stay away from work, which he did.

“I resumed work as a kombi driver at the beginning of June, and my brother assumed the job of a kombi conductor. Nothing happened until last Friday night when I noticed the soldier’s car overtaking me,” said Tembe.

Since he has allegedly paid the fine as previously asked, the 43-year-old said when he saw the same car again while a passenger was alighting at Hydro, he locked his door so that the soldier could speak through the window.

Waited

“While I waited for the soldier to state his case, he did not utter a word, but only drew out a gun and shot me on the right side of the face. I’m lucky to have been only injured,” he said.

When asked what he would do after being discharged from hospital, the kombi owner said he would most likely go back to South Africa because he fears for his life.

I blocked woman’s number, soldier surrenders

AMID the drama that has unfolded in his life since December, 2023, Tembe says he never contacted the woman he is accused of dating.

He said although he had obtained the phone number strictly for purposes of taking a parcel left with the woman, he later blocked the phone number and said had also not contacted the woman ever since. “She tried to call me once, but I never answered the phone. I don’t know why the soldier continued hunting me down,” said Tembe.

Suspected

Meanwhile, the suspected soldier is said to have surrendered himself to the police on Saturday, and acting Chief Police Information and Communications Officer, Assistant Superintendent Nosipho Mnguni confirmed his arrest. She said the 48-year-old suspect was charged with attempted murder.

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