Ngudzeni: Tension gripped the quiet community of Ngudzeni yesterday when at least five heavily armed police officers were seen storming the Mkhumane family homestead in what witnesses described as a forceful and intimidating search.

According to eyewitnesses, the officers believed to be from Ngudzeni Police Post arrived in the afternoon carrying rifles and immediately began demanding access to the home. Family members say the search was conducted without clear explanation, though the officers insisted they were looking for items belonging to Swazi Mkhumane, an opposition figure affiliated with the People’s United Democratic Movement (PUDEMO).

Sources within the community allege that Mkhumane, who is recognized as a data analyst for major NGOs in Eswatini, is suspected of handling sensitive party information. On 11 August 2025, Ngudzeni police reportedly received a search-and-seizure order authorizing the confiscation of all electronic devices and documents tied to him.

This latest raid comes barely two weeks after Mkhumane’s house in Ngwane Park, Manzini, was also ransacked by police officers in a similar fashion. The repeated targeting has left his relatives shaken.

“They demanded we reveal his whereabouts. They shouted, they pointed guns, and we were terrified. The children are still traumatized,” a family member told this publication.

Mkhumane’s exact location has remained unknown since June 2025, raising fears among relatives and human rights observers. His family insists they have had no contact with him for months.

Civil society groups are already raising concerns over what they describe as a campaign of intimidation against political activists and their families. Calls are mounting for authorities to clarify the legal grounds for the repeated raids and to ensure the safety of the Mkhumane family.

As of press time, the Eswatini Police Service had not issued an official statement regarding the Ngudzeni raid.