MBABANE – Former Milling Hotspur Public Relations Officer (PRO) Muzi Mlotsa, who is an aspiring councillor, is alleged to be receiving threats from unknown people who are said to have failed in bribing him.
Mlotsa, who will be contesting in one of the Wards under the Manzini Municipal Council, is alleged to have received the threats from unknown people. These people, according to a source, want Mlotsa to withdraw from the local government elections.Mlotsa informed this publication that his family members warned him to be careful and take the threats seriously, since they were associated with the upcoming elections.The aspiring councillor alleged that some of his family members learnt about the threats from people who were said to have discussed that he was to be kidnapped.“They told me that they heard people saying that since I was known in the community, the only solution to this problem is that I must be kidnapped so that I don’t participate in the elections,” he alleged.According to Mlotsa, every time he put up his posters along the streets, as a way of campaigning, he found them removed the following day. Due to the threats, Mlotsa reported the matter at the Manzini Police Station last Thursday.
Cash
He also alleged that he was promised E20 000 cash, to be paid in instalments of E10 000, for him to withdraw from the elections. He said he was at an advanced stage of his campaign. “I received an anonymous call which was directed to my wife, asking, her about my children as well as her whereabouts. The person who called my wife using a private number was a female,” said Mlotsa.According to the aspiring councillor, he once met a fellow aspiring councillor, who enquired about the upcoming local government elections. He said this individual was boastful and full of pride in the way he spoke to him.“He then told the other person (who later joined them) whom he must vote for. The way he spoke to me was really uncalled for,” he said.Mlotsa further said he was shocked when the other aspiring councillor allegedly pushed him.“He started pushing me. I asked myself kutsi ukhuluma njani. He was pushing me with his hands and shoulder. He wanted me to retaliate but I didn’t,” he alleged.
Mlotsa said he was asked why he was contesting the local government elections since he did not deserve the position.“I told him that there was nothing he could offer me to make me withdraw. I boldly told him that the winner would be decided on June 24,” he purported. Furthermore, he alleged that the aspiring councillor told him that he had connections and he was doing him a favour by asking him to withdraw his participation from the elections.According to Mlotsa, the aspirant told him that he would ensure that he was elected to be bucopho since he was well connected, if he (Mlotsa) withdrew from the local government elections.
Prominent
“I started asking him if he was really the one who hired people and then put them in particular positions. He said he was related to prominent people in the country and above all, he was also influential. I ended up asking him if he was bigger than God. He persisted in telling me that he was a big shot in society,” he alleged. Mlotsa said he met him again at a certain shopping complex when returning from church.According to Mlotsa, they were supposed to have an open campaign as aspiring councillors on the evening of June 4, 2023. Mlotsa alleged that on the same day, he moved out of the place where they were about to have an open campaign to buy airtime. He supposed that certain men approached him and said they wanted to have a word with him.“These men started asking about my chances of winning the local government elections. I told them that this would be determined by the electorate,” Mlotsa supposed.He stated that the men told him that already there was tension in the community on who to vote for. “Due to that, one of the men went to one of my competitors to ask him why they could not offer me money in order to buy me out of the elections race. I started asking them why they wanted me out. What wrong had I committed?” he asked.
Tension
Mlotsa alleged that the men said they wanted him out of the elections to avoid any tension in the community. He said he then told the men that he had no problem with participating in any elections since he took part in the previous general elections.“I told him that I would use the general elections experience even in these upcoming local government elections to win. Any candidate wins after obtaining the highest number of votes, not what they wanted me to do. One of the men then told me that he can offer me E20 000 to be paid in instalments of E10 000. I told him that I would be betraying God if I accepted that offer since he had never left me unto this far,” he stated.Mlotsa mentioned that after their discussion regarding the offer, he was given contact details to call in case he changed his mind. He said he took the phone number so that he would be left alone, not that he would change his mind.
The man accused of issuing the threats denied all the allegations levelled against him by Mlotsa. He said: “Ngumhlolo lona (meaning this is a taboo).”He said the authenticity of the allegations could be verified through existing legal structures.“The allegations do not represent my ideals and values for which I stand in this coming elections (sic). Kona ngumhlolo lona, lengingawati,” he said.Chief Police Information and Communications Officer Superintendent Phindile Vilakati confirmed that a matter of threats had been reported and said the police were investigating.
