BY DELISA THWALA
MBABANE– Government has noted with deep concern the rate at which incidents of cold-blooded murder are rapidly growing in the country.
Acting Prime Minister, the country’s Deputy Prime Minister (DPM) Themba Nhlanganiso Masuku has condemned these killings, stating that no one has the right to take another’s life.
Masuku said just this week, they learned with shock about the killing of four citizens in an unprecedented case of mob justice at Nkonka in the Shiselweni region.
This comes in the wake of the sporadic killings of ordinary and well-known citizens in different incidents in the recent past.
He further mentioned that according to statistics received from the Royal Eswatini Police Service (REPS), a total of 88 people have been killed over the past three months alone, averaging a whopping 30 a month.
Of these, 71 are male and 17 female, a majority of which are above the age of 25. Masuku said this was alarming, to say the least.
“Equally disturbing is that 11 of these victims are below the age of 17. Government takes this opportunity to condemn these killings. No one has a right to take another person’s life, no matter the motivation to do so. Every life is precious and Government values every life.
“It is on that premise that government appeals to all emaSwati to find amicable ways of resolving their differences, other than killing each other. Where there are suspicions of crime, these should be reported to the police who are trained to conduct thorough investigations and help in the prosecution of criminals,” he said.
In addition to that Masuku said need he not emphasise that Eswatini is a very small country and everyone is related, one way or the other. Therefore, it is very important that people act as their brothers’ keepers and protect one another. “Mob killings and taking matters into our own hands is very dangerous, as it does not only breed lawlessness, but also makes the country an unsafe place to live in, chasing away tourists and investors in the process,” he said.
