MBABANE — A 30-year-old man from Zabeni arrested on multiple road traffic charges told the court of his own experience of police brutality.
Machawe Dlamini has told the Mbabane Magistrate on Monday that he assaulted a police officer, only because he was being strangled by him and retaliated by pushing him in self-defence.
He said he was later charged with that and many other offences and he did not know that was a crime.
“I didn’t know that fighting for self-defence was a crime,” he said.
Dlamini was leveled with an offense of driving carelessly, drunk, with a car not fit to be on the road when police alleged that he committed these offences.
According to court documents, the offences occurred on a public road near Elangeni.
In count one, on August 9 at Elangeni, the accused being the driver of a Toyota Sedan unlawfully driving under the influence of alcohol or narcotics. Dlamini’s alcohol reading was 0.72 mg/l, above the limit.
Count two was for lack of a driver’s licence. He was charged with failing to produce the valid driver’s licence, and operating an unroadworthy vehicle.
Count three was for assaulting a police officer.
Count four was for evading the police, leaving his vehicle on the road.
Count five was for assaulting two police officers with fists and tearing the police uniform.
Count six was for driving an unroadworthy motor vehicle with no front number plates and no clearance papers.
While he acknowledged the rest of the charges, Dlamini pleaded not guilty to counts relating to him assaulting police officers.
He insists that his actions were in self-defence.
He told the court that the officer in charge was strangling him during the arrest, and he was only trying to protect himself from harm. He said he does not recall assaulting the officer.
He expanded that on count four, which involves failing to stop when signalled by police, he had been frightened and was unfamiliar with being chased by officers.
Dlamini mitigated and said he was remorseful. He also said he has children to take care of.
Dlamini pleaded for a lenient sentence and the magistrate court granted him bail of E2,000, with instructions to reappear in court for pre-trial.
Dlamini is expected to reappear on August 27 2025 while his trial is scheduled to start on September 12, 2025.
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