…also destroys illegal firearms
BY DELISA THWALA
MBABANE – The Royal Eswatini Police Service (REPS) have urged the Nation to respect and value human life.
Deputy National Commissioner-Shadrack Simelane said Emaswati seems to have lost the sanctity and respect of human life through acts of violence.
This was during a Crime Prevention campaign held in Hlathikhulu town. Simelane, who was representing the National Commissioner of Police, said crimes like murder are on the rise and it is a cause for concern.
He noted that Hlathikhulu is a small area and statistics of violent crimes such as murder are alarming.
Worth mentioning is that today, the REPS is destroying 125 illegal firearms, 11 000 ammunition and 11 legal firearms(unserviceable government firearms). The destruction of the guns is currently taking place at Matsapha Police Academy.
“It should be our collective resolve to strive for tolerance and confidence in the power of dialogue whenever a dispute arises,” he said.
He further cautioned against the tendency of taking the law into one’s hands as it is not a solution but only serves as a path towards self-destruction and irreparable harm.
Simelane condemned the issue of ritual murders which are usually associated with the elections due to ill-conceived beliefs and practices.
Simelane noted that Gender Based Violence crimes continue to be a thorny issue as it is reported with high frequency, both in urban and rural communities. He urged members of the community to report.
such criminal activity as it has severe implications for the survivors. He discouraged the notion of ‘tibi tendlu’ as this was a breeding ground for GBV cases.
The Deputy National Commissioner also expressed concern about the number of accidents that have occurred along the Yithi Abantu Highway. Road safety stakeholders were encouraged to join hands in finding ways that will help in the reduction and elimination of these accidents.
“Road users are reminded to always respect the rules of the road and they need to apply safety measures at all times to avoid being victims of accidents,” said Simelane.
Hlathikhulu residents were advised to practise honest citizen habits which involve desisting from buying/dealing in stolen property but, rather reporting those selling items suspected to be stolen.
