By Sifiso Nhlabatsi | 2019-01-05
Following the much publicised brutal murder of a nurse by a police officer at Hlathikulu area ,the police service has come out to state that what has happened is really an embarrassment to the police and they are at a loss for words on what they can say about the situation.
Memorial services are known as a time when friends and relatives of the deceased remember and celebrate the life of their loved one who has passed away. however, for the police service it was a different story yesterday during the memorial service of Lindokuhle Dolly Mlangeni. Mlangeni’s memorial service, which was held at Sharpe Memorial Nazarene Church, was a very emotional one as friends and relatives failed to come to terms that the bubbly Lindokuhle is no more.
The police representative who was assigned to speak on behalf of the Acting National Commissioner of police William Dlamini said as a police service they were in disgrace, this is more-so because Mlangeni died in the hands of a police officer Sibusiso Shongwe, who strangled her to death in one of the cases of domestic violence, which has left many people shocked.
Speaking on behalf of the Acting National Commissioner of Police, Ngwane Dlamini said as the police service they have not come to the service to celebrate, but they came to mourn the disgrace which has befallen them as a service.
He said as REPS they have been disgraced by one of their own, and they are ready to suffer the consequences.
“We have been greatly embarrassed asati sitsini noma senteni konkhe kusanele,” Dlamini stated.
The Natcom representative said it is very disturbing that they did not even receive a hint that the two had problems prior to the murder incident.
He said as police, they are always engaging partners who are not seeing eye-to-eye to solve their problems amicably but this time around they did not see it coming.
Meanwhile, Ellias Mlangeni when speaking for the Mlangeni family said as a family they were very, sad about the passing away of their daughter.
Mlangeni said more especially because Lindokuhle left them because of an act of gender-based violence.
Mlangeni said their daughter lost her life in the hands of those fighting against gender-based violence. He said they received a report about the death of their daughter at a time when the police were busy at a workshop getting training on issues of gender based violence and how to handle such.
Mlangeni said there are things that make the death of their daughter more painful, but he said he will not dwell that much on those issues.
He said what has made matters worse is that from September last year, the Mlangeni family has lost four family members in a very short period of time.
He said Lindokuhle was the fifth family member to die. Mlangeni asked for those close to Lindokuhle to pray for the family in such dire times.
Mlangeni further thanked the media for the coverage of the matter, he pleaded with the media to make sure that it reports the matter in a balanced manner. He made it clear that it will take some time for them as the Mlangeni family to accept what has befallen them.
We will not help police officers in hospitals – aggrieved nurses vow
Nurses have vowed that they will not assist police officers whenever they come to seek help in hospitals.
Nurses are really failing to accept the cold-blooded murder which has happened to one of their colleagues.
Adding salt to the wound is that the nurse Lindokuhle Dolly Mlangeni was killed by a police officer Sibusiso Shongwe, which the nurses regarded as someone who is supposed to protect citizens of the country.
During yesterday’s memorial service at Sharpe Memorial Nazarene Church, some nurses who are colleagues of the slain nurse Lindokuhle made it clear that it will be hard for them to assist police officers when they come to seek medical attention in hospitals.
These remarks were made in the presence of representatives from the ministry of health.
One of the representatives from the ministry of health Gloria Msibi said what has been uttered by the nurses is something that is coming from a heart that is in pain.
In her speech, Msibi said she won’t repeat what has been said but she urged nurses to calm down and accept what has happened.
Swaziland Democratic Nurses Union (SWADNU) President Bheki Mamba, who was present during the memorial service, also made his remarks.
Mamba said indeed nurses will have difficulty dealing with police officers because they were still trying to come to terms with what had happened to their colleague.
Mamba said, however, as a union they are trying to manage the situation, he said they are attending to it.
The president said as much as the person who committed such an act is a police officer, it must be understood that not all police officers have to suffer for Shongwe’s sins.
Mamba said what has happened is very sad because it is an act of violence against an innocent woman.
He said as nurses they will do everything that is in their power to ensure that the person responsible for the murder of the nurse does not get bail.
He said they have heard that he is in a move to make an application for bail. Mamba added that as SWADNU, they will be filling the courts in protests to ensure that Shongwe remains locked up.
“He does not deserve bail,” Mamba stated. Mamba said their biggest fear now is that the justice system will let the Mlangeni family down by releasing the accused on bail.
He said in his point of view, someone who has murdered a defenceless woman in such a brutal manner does not deserve bail at all.
“We have shortage of nurses,” ministry of health laments on death of nurse
The ministry of health through its Deputy Chief Nursing Officer Glory Msibi has lamented the passing away of one of them Lindokuhle Mlangeni, a nurse based at Hlatikhulu government hospital.
Msibi sent condolences to the friends and relatives of Mlangeni. She said as a ministry, they were expecting a lot from Mlangeni.
She added that it is hard and very expensive to train a nurse, Msibi said making the issue more hard is the fact that government made it clear that it is not hiring while at the same time there is a serious shortage of nurses in the country’s hospitals.
Msibi said the loss of Mlangeni is a major blow to the nursing profession. She said Mlangeni was not going to end at Hlatikhulu Goverment Hospital but she had a bright future ahead of her.
She further thanked the police service for making sure that it meets with the hospital management and apologise and sent their condolences in person for what has happened.
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