Mbabane – The High Court has granted bail to three men facing charges of kidnapping, assault and robbery, after they denied the allegations and claimed the complainant had falsely implicated them.
The accused are Hezekiel Ndwandwe from Mpholi in the Manzini Region, Thandokuhle Dvuba from Maliyaduma, and Sabelo Sacolo from Ka-Khoza. They requested release on bail while awaiting trial, arguing that it was fair to do so.
Ndwandwe, in an affidavit, said all three intended to plead not guilty. He claimed the complainant had actually robbed him on 9 December 2025, when the complainant and two unknown men allegedly came to his home, pointed a gun at his family, and stole three cellphones, a wallet, his Identity Card, and a bank card. He added that the matter was reported to Manzini Police Station and remained under investigation.
Ndwandwe explained that the following day he enlisted the help of Dvuba and Sacolo to recover his property. He said the complainant later returned the three cellphones voluntarily and cooperated in retrieving the remaining items from other people. He insisted that no force or gun had been used and that the charges were fabricated to shift blame onto them.
The three men are accused of kidnapping Phinda Dlamini on 10 December 2025 near Fairview in Manzini, driving him to Mbekelweni, and threatening him with a gun. They are also alleged to have tied him with wires, threatened to burn him with plastic, and robbed him of a Samsung Galaxy A04 cellphone and E1 700 in cash.
Ndwandwe told the court he would not abscond, noting that he had no criminal record, reported himself to police, and had no family outside the country. He also stated that he supported children who depended on him, and that continued detention would harm his family. The accused described the matter as urgent because it affected their right to freedom.
The court granted bail to all three men, setting E50 000 each, with E7 000 to be paid in cash and the remaining E43 000 secured by a surety. They were ordered to comply with standard bail conditions until their trial begins.
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