STATEMENT BY RT HON PRIME MINISTER
DR B.SIBUSISO DLAMINI
ON THE DEATH OF A MOZAMBICAN NATIONAL WHO WAS A SUSPECT IN POLICE CUSTODY
IN PARLIAMENT
WEDNESDAY 17 JUNE 2015
Honourable Speaker/President of Senate
Honourable Members/Senators
Following a motion raised and adopted by this august House, that the Prime Minister presents to Parliament a Statement regarding the death of a Mozambican national who died in Police custody, I have the honour to address the House/Senate on the matter.
On 12 June 2015, a Mozambican national, Mr Luciano Reginaldo Zavale, who was resident in Swaziland, was arrested by the Royal Swaziland Police in connection with the theft of an electronic gadget known as a Tablet or i-Pad that had been snatched from the bag of an individual who was travelling in a public transport vehicle.
The individual suspected as having stolen the gadget from the vehicle passenger was later arrested and explained, during questioning, that he sold the gadget to Luciano Reginaldo Zavale. Police subsequently found the gadget in the possession of Mr Zavale, who was then arrested for being found in possession of stolen property, and taken into Police custody for further questioning about this and other cases of a similar nature.
The death of a person in police custody is always a regrettable occurrence. The highest priority following such an incident is to establish precisely what was the cause of the death. The National Commissioner of Police has already instituted a full scale internal investigation to determine the circumstances surrounding the death of Mr Zavale. A post-mortem on the body of the deceased will be conducted as soon as the pathologist from Mozambique, appointed by the family of the deceased, is in place for the procedure to be carried out jointly with the state pathologist. In the interest of transparency we welcome the participation of the pathologist from Mozambique. We await the findings of the post-mortem.
The Police are rigorously trained to operate to the highest standards of procedure, embracing an ethos of decent behavior, integrity and honesty. Methods of interrogation of suspects must conform to generally accepted standards. The National Commissioner of Police routinely, and in person, motivates officers of the Police Service to observe the standards to which they have been trained. Government has a great deal of confidence in the Police and in its internal processes of continuous monitoring of compliance with operational standards, as well as in the disciplinary procedures established and sustained to deal severely with any Police officer who departs from the established standards.
This is an incident that has caused a great deal of public concern and, indeed, a considerable amount of speculation. There has been a great deal of discussion and coverage of it in the media. While that is understandable it does not answer the questions.
The facts have to be determined. We have to get to the truth. We owe that to Mr Zavale and his family and, indeed, to the entire general public. Whilst an internal investigation within the Police Service will be of considerable assistance, I intend, as Minister responsible for the Royal Swaziland Police Service, to appoint a coroner to conduct an inquest in accordance with the Inquest Act of 1954. The findings of earlier inquests have been made public and that tradition will be continued in this particular case.
We trust that this measure will provide reassurance of Government’s intention to demonstrate transparency in its investigations and determination to achieve high professional standards in our Police Service.
In the meantime, on behalf of His Majesty’s Government, I wish to convey our sincere condolences for this tragic incident to the immediate family, other relatives and friends of the deceased person as well as to the entire Mozambican community resident in Swaziland and elsewhere.
We would also like to thank the Mozambican High Commission in Swaziland for the full cooperation and assistance extended to us in this, the early part of our investigations. His Majesty’s Government would also wish to re-affirm its commitment to sustaining the friendly and cordial relations that exist between the Kingdom of Swaziland and the Republic of Mozambique.
Thank you