Mbabane– Three Ncabaneni men accused of murdering a suspected criminal have been granted bail after telling the High Court they were attempting to help their community deal with a surge in crime when the incident occurred.
Sandile Phesheya Dlamini (35), Tsepo Musa Dube (32) and Mthobisi Nkambule (29) are charged with the murder of Nkosinathi Mavuso, who died following an assault at Ncabaneni in the Manzini Region on or about June 19.
The High Court granted each accused bail of E50,000, with E5,000 payable in cash and the remaining E45,000 secured by surety.
In affidavits filed before the court, the three men denied murdering Mavuso and maintained that they had no intention of causing his death.
Dlamini told the court that he was on his way to purchase chickens from Dube when he noticed a man standing motionless at the gate of Dube’s homestead after dark. He said the stranger’s presence raised concern because the area had recently experienced robberies, housebreakings and reports of missing children.
According to Dlamini, he alerted Dube, who then called other community members to the scene.
As residents gathered, some schoolgirls allegedly identified the man as someone who had chased them earlier that day. Dlamini said the allegations alarmed members of the community, who began questioning the stranger.
“The community members were appalled and the crowd started assaulting him with sticks with the objective of eliciting more information,” Dlamini stated in his affidavit.
He denied taking part in the assault or encouraging others to attack the deceased.
“I did not assault the complainant and certainly did not incite the crowd on him. I also did not foresee his death,” he told the court.
Dlamini further stated that police were contacted and advised community members to keep the man at the scene until officers arrived. He said the deceased appeared to be in good condition when police took him into custody and that residents later learned he had died while receiving medical treatment.
Dube admitted striking the deceased but denied intending to inflict serious injuries.
“I only reasonably chastised him and landed a few mild strokes on a non-delicate area of his body, being the legs,” he stated in his affidavit.
Nkambule also denied assaulting the deceased, saying he was merely present while community members questioned him.
The three accused told the court they cooperated with police investigations by identifying individuals who were present during the incident and surrendering items requested by investigators.
They further argued that they were not flight risks, citing their family ties, employment and business interests in Eswatini. Dlamini and Dube informed the court that they are involved in poultry farming, while all three said they have fixed places of residence and dependants.
After considering the application, the High Court granted bail on condition that each accused pay E5,000 in cash and provide sureties for the balance of E45,000.
The matter will return to court as the accused prepare to stand trial on the murder charge.
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