Mbabane – A 6mm firearm and stashes of tarted cash notes were presented in court by the prosecution in the matter of four men facing a litany of charges including bombing ATMs.
The matter pending before senior Magistrate Sifiso Vilakati proceeded on Wednesday with the revelation of a grey Toyota Run X car, and the playing of CCTV footage of the suspects, Sicelo Msibi, Muziwandile Lukhele, Given Mfanakazane Mavuso, all from Tjakastard in South Africa – and Lindani Zitha of Nkhaba – peddling ATMs presented in court by detective Dludlu.
The detective testified that in their investigations, the suspects voluntarily led police to Matsapha where they bought the car allegedly used in their operations. The vehicle was brought from one director of a dealership identified as Mr Mohammed.
The dealer had returned E26,800 down payment the men used to buy the car back to the police.
It is part of the evidence by the prosecution covering more than 10 pages. The accused were arrested in connection with the bombing of First National Bank (FNB), Standard Bank, EswatiniBank and Nedbank ATMs in Mbabane.
In another lead, the accused took the police to Msunduza, where officers found the grey Run X.
Although it had no number plates at the time, Zitha allegedly later revealed the registration as BSD 887CH. Inside the vehicle, police discovered an unlicensed 6mm FHZ 564 firearm, along with a stash of money.
In the boot, officers found E21,750 in good notes and E12,320 in damaged notes. A further E17,600 was recovered inside a Hisense box in a nearby house, with more cash hidden inside a KFC box. All the money was seized by police.
Investigations later confirmed that the Run X was the same vehicle used in the ATM bombings. Detective Dludlu revealed that a police tip-off led them to the industrial site, where they spotted the car.
Zitha, who was behind the wheel, claimed he was delivering Times of Eswatini newspapers — but the detective later found this to be a lie.
The arrest happened after the suspects returned from an alleged shopping spree at Studio 88 in Ezulwini.
Receipts showed they spent E9,949.85 on luxury clothing, including a GTI T-shirt, Puma sneakers, two caps, three tracksuits (two Adidas and one Ellesse), a golf T-shirt, and a North Face T-shirt, among other items.
When Zitha was arrested at Checkers cozy corner, cash of E1 210 was found in his pockets and was seized by police.
Banks including Nedbank, Standard Bank, Swaziland Building Society, and Spar at Gwamile Street provided police with CCTV footage from the bombing days. In the footage, two of the accused could be seen — one wearing grey track pants, a blue sweater, and a red sash around his waist.
The court also heard from Fidelity Security officer Sipho Simelane, who was on duty on the night of one of the incidents. He was robbed of his black-and-green coat, kidnapped, and tied up by the suspects.
The accused later showed police where they had dumped the security guard’s coat in Extension 3, not far from the Times of Eswatini offices.
Magistrate Vilakati postponed the matter to 18 August, as he will still examine other exhibits stored at the Mbabane Police Station.
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