Just three days after a brazen burglary at Eswatini Bank’s Manzini branch, where approximately E1.6 million was stolen, another attempted robbery unfolded in the early hours of yesterday at Standard Bank Eswatini in Manzini.
This time, the suspects allegedly targeted the bank’s private banking offices at the Manzini Business Centre in what appears to have been a carefully orchestrated break-in. The incident occurred at approximately 4:45am.
According to information gathered from sources close to the matter, two suspects — one reportedly a former security guard at the bank — allegedly gained entry through a window located high up on the building.
The pair is said to have forced their way through the ceiling using a crowbar and bolt cutter in an attempt to access cash stored inside the premises, including money held in the Automated Teller Machines (ATMs).
However, for reasons yet to be established, the suspects’ plan was thwarted. Their efforts to access the bank’s cash reserves proved unsuccessful, and the only item reported stolen was a laptop.
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Police reportedly received a tip-off shortly after the suspects fled the scene.
Officers responded swiftly and tracked the pair to the vicinity of Millennium Park, where they were allegedly spotted on foot. One suspect managed to escape, while the other — identified as 46-year-old Sandile Sibandze of Maliyaduma — was apprehended.
He was reportedly found in possession of a crowbar, bolt cutter and the stolen laptop.
A heavy police presence descended on the bank soon after the attempted break-in. Units from the Scenes of Crime Department, the Lukhozi Serious Crime Unit and the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) Manzini Fraud Unit were deployed, along with senior investigators.
Authorities cordoned off the premises, declaring it a crime scene as forensic teams conducted investigations inside the bank for several hours.
By 3pm, barricade tape had been removed and the main doors reopened, though not for business. A handful of bank officials were seen entering and exiting the building as investigations continued.
Acting Chief Police Information and Communications Officer, Assistant Superintendent Nosipho Mnguni, confirmed the attempted robbery, stating that preliminary investigations were underway to establish the full circumstances surrounding the incident.
When asked whether the suspects in the Standard Bank case were linked to the recent Eswatini Bank heist, Mnguni declined to comment, citing the sensitivity of ongoing investigations.
“All I can say is that we have identified persons of interest in both cases whom the police are still searching for,” she said.
Meanwhile, police have yet to arrest Bongani Mzwandile Arcan Shongwe (39) of Dvokolwako, a former Eswatini Bank employee wanted in connection with the armed robbery at the bank’s Manzini branch earlier this week. He is being sought alongside two other suspects allegedly linked to the E1.6 million heist.
Investigations in both cases remain ongoing.
