POLICE have discovered explosives hidden in a shack at Peak Timbers forest.
The explosives were discovered on September 4, at about 8:20am by police officers conducting routine patrols at the D2 Peak Timbers forest.
The explosives, which were hidden in a bag, included four SuperPower emulsion cartridges, one silver commercial detonator and detonating cords of different lengths.
Chief Police Information and Communications Officer Senior Superintendent Phindile Zwane confirmed the discovery. She said the Pigg’s Peak Police have since launched an investigation into the matter.
Preliminary investigations suggest that the explosives may be connected to illegal mining activities in the northern parts of the Hhohho region. Zwane said the police would continue working relentlessly to combat environmental crimes, including illegal mining, which poses a danger not only to the environment but also to human life.
Meanwhile, Peak Timbers Forest Manager Maxwell Mthethwa declined to comment, saying he had not received a formal report on the matter. He said he was out of the country on the day the explosives were discovered.
The latest discovery comes amid a number of recent cases involving explosives and suspected illegal mining activities.
On June 23, police arrested two Botswana nationals who are scheduled to appear in court today after they were charged with contravening the Explosives Act of 1961. The two men, aged 48 and 44, are from Serowe and Gaborone, respectively. They were also charged with unlawfully entering and remaining in the Kingdom of Eswatini without valid documents.
The suspects were arrested at about 4pm in the Mbabane City Centre following an intelligence-driven operation by the Mbabane Police. They were allegedly found in possession of two 120cm explosive nonel tubing detonators without a licence or permit.
In another incident that happened in April, a South African man was arrested after he was allegedly found in possession of explosives near Bhunya.
Wandile Mfanzile Mkhwanazi (41), of Fernie in South Africa’s Mpumalanga Province, was arrested by Bhunya Police at Mpuluzi. Mkhwanazi allegedly entered the country through an informal crossing and reportedly claimed to be an illegal miner, commonly known as a ‘zama zama’.
Police allegedly found a blasting cartridge, one capped fuse and a detonating cord in his possession without a permit.
When questioned about the explosives, Mkhwanazi allegedly told police that he intended to use them in South Africa, where he claimed to be involved in illegal mining activities. However, it could not be ascertained why he had brought the explosives into Eswatini, where he had reportedly claimed that he was visiting relatives.
