MBABANE – The family of Agriculture Minister Jabulani ‘Buy Cash’ Mabuza and Hosea Member of Parliament Mduduzi Bacede Mabuza has called for a ceasefire following the burning down of the two blood brothers’ hardware stores.
Minister Mabuza has been the most affected and has suffered damage estimated to be above E100 million after arsonists burnt down a number of his Buy Cash Hardware chain stores as he is accused of siding with government against his brother who is one of those leading the fight for democratic reforms in the country.
Bacede owns the Baceth Hardware chain stores and is currently in prison and faces terrorism and murder charges.
On Wednesday night, a Baceth Hardware store located at Sidvwashini Industrial Site in Mbabane was set alight by unknown arsonists.
This led to the minister and MP’s two other brothers Bheki and Sifiso holding a press conference at Hilton Garden Inn to call for an end to the arson attacks.
“We plead with Emaswati and, we beg you as the Mabuza family, with great humbleness, to cooperate with us. We are all concerned with the ongoing violence in the country. We see a lot being said and done on social media but what is noticeable through all these is that we are suffering great loss as the Mabuzas. When the unrest began, a lot of properties and lives were lost. As a family, we noticed that our family member Buy Cash, who is our elder brother, became the main target. Many of his stores were burnt down and this has been painful to us. An impression has been created that there is division among the family members. On Monday his Bhunya store was also burnt and this hurt us. We then held a discussion and decided to come out to ask for forgiveness from Emaswati if we have done them wrong,” Bheki said.
He said when their minister brother held a press conference of his own earlier this week they were supposed to be with him but they could not come because of other business commitments.
“As a family, we wish other families could be like us; we’re united and love each other. The minister is the eldest and was the first one in the family to go into business and God used him as the pioneer. He has had a hand in us also kick-starting our businesses and helped us. He has assisted Bacede too. Bacede was also pained to see his brother’s stores being burnt. It is not true that Bacede is behind the burning of his brother’s stores. As a family we’re now afraid people will think Jabulani has retaliated by burning Bacede’s shop. We plead with Emaswati not to make this assumption. Let’s unit as a nation to stop what is happening because it is greatly damaging us as a family,” Bheki said.
He said the arson attacks have the potential to create enmity within the Mabuza family but they have made a decision that no matter what happens they will never be divided.
“We support each other in business. Get it from us as a family, we are one family, we are brothers, we are glued together and love each other. What is happening has even affected our mother. She’s not taking kindly that one of us is in jail and the other has his stores being burnt. This does not sit well with the family,” Bheki said.
He said the burning of their brothers’ businesses and structures of other people and organisations in the country should stop.
He said as brother they supported each other because one can choose his friends but not his family.
“We’re not speaking because a Baceth store has also been burnt but we had scheduled to come and talk to the media. We ask for your cooperation in stopping the arson attacks that appear to be targeted to our family. The arson attacks in general should stop. Let us push for dialogue to solve the challenges we have,” Bheki said.
He said the Mabuza family businesses employed around 2000 people and between Bacede and Minister Mabuza there were about 1 100 employees.
“Each time the shops are burnt, some of these employees lose their jobs. Every Swazi has more than 10 dependants so the effects have far reaching consequences. Please, do this for us: we are siblings; born from the same father and same mother. We wish today was the last arson incident,” Bheki said.
Sifiso echoed his brother’s words and said all the pain being caused by the arson attacks on their brothers’ businesses was being felt by one mother.
“We grew up united but what is happening is destroying the family such that our children will view each other as enemies. Life has its own challenges but these do not exist within the Mabuza family but are being created by what is being done by people from outside. Please let there be a ceasefire, don’t destroy our brothers,” he said.
Minister Jabulani is the first born among the brothers and after him comes Bheki, who is followed by Bacede and then Sifiso.
