Hardly two months after the passing of her husband, a widow has had her structure worth over E320 000 demolished allegedly by a gun wielding chief.
This is allegedly a result of boundary dispute between Mpolonjeni and Ngcina.
The incident which has left residents of both chiefdoms in disbelief unfolded last Tuesday in full view of the widow’s family members and local residents.
Hloniphile Simelane-Makhanya of Mpolonjeni is the widow of a police officer, Jeremiah Magawula Makhanya who passed away in May.
At the time of his demise, Makhanya was stationed at the Manzini Police Station.
The raging boundary dispute between the two imiphakatsi also saw the late police officer being buried unceremoniously in the middle of the night after the chief allegedly ruled that he would not be buried in the community.
This newspaper understands that since the passing of Makhanya, his family has been running from pillar to post to seek protection against the chief.
When narrating the turn of events to this publication, Simelane-Makhanya claimed that she was at home when Chief Sigeza Dlamini of Ngcina umphakatsi, arrived riding a bike at noon, leading a tractor loader backhoe (TLB) which he had hired to demolish her structure.
Simelane-Makhanya said the structure, which was meant to be a bottle store and a grocery shop was already complete. She was only working on some touch-ups to meet the standards of the bottle store license.
“One of the men who were working on the structure came running to inform me about the chief having arrived to demolish the structure,” she alleged.
| Eswatini Observer WhatsApp Channel
The widow claimed the chief did not produce any legal document which ordered the demolishing of the structure. She alleged that the chief only brandished a gun, threatening to shoot anyone who would attempt to stop the demolishing of the structure.
“He was alone and the driver of the TLB,” Simelane-Makhanya and further claiming that the chief demolished the building without the approval of any authority.
Simelane-Makhanya said the damage caused amounted to approximately E322 000.
She claimed that the chief argued that the structure was built on land belonging to Ngcina umphakatsi, and without his approval.
Simelane-Makhanya said however, the construction of the structure was approved by Mpolonjeni umphakatsi, and was accordingly issued with all the necessary documents.
“The bottle store had also been issued with the King’s consent letter at Commercial Amadoda office as per the procedure to acquire a trading license. My husband was assisted by the Mpolonjeni umphakatsi to acquire the King’s consent letter. He had reported the matter to the offices of the King’s Liaison Officer, Regional Administrator, and the police before his demise,” the widow claimed.
Meanwhile, an uncle of the deceased Makhanya who preferred anonymity echoed Simelane-Makhanya’s sentiments. He stated the Makhanya family had been in the same area for many decades, and has always paid allegiance to Mpolonjeni umphakatsi.
“The Makhanya family has been here even before the late Chief Mphini Dlamini who is the grandfather of Chief Sigeza,” he said. The uncle said they were taken aback by Chief Sigeza’s alleged drastic action of demolishing the structure belonging to a widow who had just lost her husband two months ago.
Eswatini Observer Press Reader | View Here
