The Swazi Observer,
the newspaper in effect owned by King Mswati III, called it ‘callousness’ and a
‘dirty shame’.
Senior Royal, Prince Hlangusemphi, who is Minister for
Economic Planning and Development is under attack after it was revealed that 11,498
metric tonnes of maize had been donated by Japan to feed the hungry, but had
been sold through the National Maize Corporation.
The Observer,
in an editorial comment, said today (13 March 2013) the Prince, ‘better have
plausible answers when he responds to the issue of a maize donation that ended
up in a government account, instead of the tummies of thousands of impoverished
Swazis who needed it the most.
‘In fact, it is still hard to believe that government
decided to sell the maize so it could swell up its dwindling coffers, doing
this at the expense of multitudes that go to bed without anything to eat as a
result of the dire straits they live in on a daily basis.’
In Swaziland, three people in ten are malnourished and
rely on humanitarian food aid to survive.
The Observer
went on to call the government’s action ‘callousness’. It said, ‘to let down
its needy citizens is such a low down, dirty shame’.
The Observer
said the decision to sell the maize rather than give it to the intended recipients,
‘simply qualifies the assertion held by a larger segment of the populace that
this government just does not care about the plight of the people at grass root
level’.
It said the government had been, ‘hoarding donor food in
a bid to make a quick buck, which is then stashed at the Central Bank, as to
for whose benefit, only they know’.
It added, ‘This then clearly shows how greedy they can
be.’
See also
GOVT SELLS MAIZE DONATED FOR HUNGRY
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