Officials say until Mswati comes forward and reports the matter it remains “hearsay” to them.
The police in Witbank say no criminal case was opened after the alleged gun attack on Emalahleni municipal MMC Mduduzi ‘Mswati’ Nkosi.
The cops said they only got to learn about the incident through the media and are just as clueless as everybody else about what really happened.
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“We don’t have a record of the incident,” police spokesman Colonel Donald Mdhluli said when he spoke to the 013NEWS reporter Tuesday afternoon after reports that an unknown man entered Mswati’s farmhouse in Witbank during the night the past weekend and shot him in the leg.
An ANC branch leader said Mswati was then rushed to hospital where he underwent surgical operation to have the bullet removed and the bullet was “successfully removed” before Mswati was quickly discharged to heal at home.
“We made our visit and [we can] confirm that Comrade Mswati is stable and indeed recovering. He shall be back in no time, fit enough to continue executing his duties and service for the society,” branch leader in Witbank’s ward 9, Given Nkosi, said of the Nkangala REC member a few hours after the news broke.
Earlier, police sources at the Witbank police station told 013NEWS that they heard about a “shot victim” in Klarinet, which falls under the Vosman police station but Vosman police spokeswoman Captain Elizabeth Mkaudi when asked about Mswati said: “We don’t comment about politicians please speak to the province”.
The province answered: “As police we can’t say an incident happened if a case is not opened. For us that is just hearsay as we have no record of the incident you are asking about,” Mdhluli, the provincial police spokesperson said, adding that he told the SABC NEWS the same thing when they asked for his comment on the matter.
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ANC spokeswoman Sasekani Manzini said Mswati told her that he didn’t think the incident had anything to do with the ANC.
“We want to condem all these criminal activities that are happening,” Manzini told the SABC during a live broadcast Monday 27 September 2021.
“…And he confirmed to me that he doesn’t think this thing has anything to do with the ANC,” Manzini added, calling on police boss Lieutenant-General Semakaleng Manamela to investigate and arrest those who were responsible.
In a message that Mswati sent to an ANCYL WhatsApp group on Monday morning, Mswati wrote that an exchange of gunshots occurred at his residence on Sunday night between himself and the unknown man.
Mswati has now asked for privacy and is currently not answering any question about the issue, also refusing to send photos of his injured leg.
“No,” he said when asked for a photo of the injured part of the body.
When asked whether he was still in hospital or discharged already, Mswati answered: “That one I can’t tell you or anyone”.
Later on Tuesday evening, Mswati and acting Nkangala district mayor Tiny Mthimunye were on Emalahleni FM, speaking about service delivery issues but didn’t say anything about the shooting incident.
When the 013NEWS reporter asked him why he chose not to speak about the issue on the local radio station, he sent this short message on WhatsApp: “That’s good. I will be back from exile”.
(edited by ZK)
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