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POLICE ACCUSED OF TORTURING MAN TO DEATH

By Wonderboy Dlamini | 2025-01-08

A Mabuza family of Ntamakuphila in Siteki is demanding answers from Siteki police, who are alleged to have tortured and killed a family member in fullview of other family members.

Gift Nkosingiphile Mabuza died on Christmas day while in the hands of the police. This is according to family members who allege that Gift was tortured by the police within the homestead before they took him away to the police station, where he eventually died.

The deceased was buried at his parental home on Saturday.
Narrating the events of the fateful day, Gift’s aunt, who only identified herself as Gogo Mabuza said the police arrived at the Mabuza homestead after they had reported him (Gift) to the police for assaulting another family member.

Gift was said to have hacked his cousin with a sharp object on the head after they had a misunderstanding while at home. She noted that Gift often shared the same room with his cousin, Sethu Mabuza.

Gift is said to have hacked Sethu on the head at around 11 am and he was rushed to the hospital after sustaining a gaping wound on the head.
Gogo Mabuza said the matter was reported to the police after the nursing staff at the hospital demanded a police report before attending to Sethu. She alleged that two police officers who were on general patrol attended to the incident.

“They arrived at around noon with the intention of taking Gift in for questioning. However, Gift had left home at the time and had headed to one of the drinking spots in the area,” she alleged.
According to the family members, the police returned to the homestead at 8 pm on the same day.

Another family member, who witnessed the alleged torture, Philile Simelane said Gift was already sleeping in his house when the police arrived.

“He was drunk, so he went to sleep early on that day”, said Simelane.
The police are said to have forcefully entered the one-room house after Gift refused to open for them.

Upon entering the house, Simelane said the police started torturing Gift as he was resisting going with them. Simelane said the torture lasted for slightly over five minutes.

“We tried to stop the police from torturing Gift, but they didn’t listen,” said Simelane.
She further alleged that the torture happened behind the door and as such, they were unable to push the door.

Simelane alleged that the police eventually took Gift, who had visible injuries on the head, away. Another family member said Gift had one of his eyes damaged during the torture.

“Even if he survived, one of his eyes could have lost its ability to see because it was completely damaged during the torture,” alleged a family member who asked not to be named.

While admitting that Gift made attempts to resist arrest, the family members said he was too drunk to overpower even one police officer.

They alleged that the police used unnecessary force to torture the deceased. Simelane alleged that the police used various tools such as a hammer to assault Gift.

The tools were found scattered in the house after the police left with the injured man. Meanwhile, Gogo Mabuza said they then received a call from the police the following day, inviting them to the police station.

Upon their arrival, the family members were informed that Gift died while undergoing treatment at Good Shepherd Hospital. Mabuza said they were informed that Gift’s treatment was delayed by the fact that he was first taken to Lubombo Referral Hospital for scanning.

They stated that a post-mortem was eventually conducted on December 31 at Good Shepherd Hospital. According to the post-mortem, which this publication has seen, Gift died as a result of multiple injuries. The post-mortem was conducted by Dr Swapnika Enugala of Mbabane. Gift was buried at Ntamakuphila on Saturday morning.

Chief Police Information and Communications Officer Phindile Vilakati confirmed that a man died while in the hands of the police after they responded to a call from the family.

She, however, explained that Gift reacted violently when the police went to fetch him from home for questioning.

Vilakati said Gift started fighting the police as he was resisting arrest. “The police were also injured as the suspect fought them. He was injured when the police reacted to his violent conduct,” said the police spokesperson.

Police provide coffin,
E400 cash for Gift’s funeral

FOLLOWING the death of Gift Mabuza in the hands of the police while ‘resisting arrest’ at his parental home, the Siteki police provided a coffin and E400 cash as contribution towards his funeral.

This was revealed by Gift’s aunt, Gogo Mabuza when our news crew visited the Mabuza homestead over the weekend.

As the family is impoverished, Mabuza said they had to ask for donations from the community in order to cater for costs of the funeral.

Mabuza said the police provided them with the coffin and a sum of E400. “We assume that this was a way of admitting their fault in handling the matter,” said Mabuza.

When asked about the donation of a coffin and E400 cash, Chief Police Information and Communications Officer Senior Superintendent Phindile Vilakati neither confirmed nor disputed the matter. She stated that the police would like to keep what was discussed with the family between the two parties.

Meanwhile, Gift’s aunt stated that the death of her nephew left a serious impact on his grandmother, whom he has been living with over the past years. She said Gift was the sole provider for his grandmother.

Mabuza said Gift and his grandmother were the only occupants of the homestead at Ntamakuphila, while other relatives resided at their various homesteads in the same area and in distant areas.

Gogo Mabuza said Gift looked after his grandmother, who is over 70 years old. She said even though Gift was unemployed, he would undertake piece jobs around Siteki in order to provide for his grandmother and his child.

She said Gift’s mother, who lives at another homestead, had a hearing impairment.

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