Swaziland’s public finances are in such a mess that bank statements have been miscalculated by more than E7 billion. Government Ministries are engaging in fraud and breaking laws. These are some of the conclusions of the annual Auditor’s General report. The Minister of Finance Martin Dlamini in the national budget says the kingdom can only spend on priorities. Then, he sets aside E5.5 million for a retirement home for the unelected Prime Minister Barnabas Dlamini and another E1.5 billion for a conference centre.
Meanwhile, international donors are paying to stop children from starvation.
These are some of the stories in Swaziland: Striving for Freedom. Vol 29, January to March 2018, the latest quarterly compilation of posts from Swazi Media Commentary website. It is available to download free-of-charge from Scribd.
The kingdom, ruled by autocratic monarch King Mswati III, is gearing up to mark his 50th birthday which falls in the same year as Swaziland’s 50th anniversary of Independence from Great Britain. Money intended for retired people and the disabled has been taken to help pay for the festivities. Public services such as health and education are grinding to a halt because the government has not paid bills to suppliers.
Meanwhile, Swaziland continues to repress political dissent and disregard human rights and the rule of law, the latest international reports on freedom in the kingdom reveal.
Swazi Media Commentary is published online, updated most weekdays. It is operated entirely by volunteers and receives no financial backing from any organisation. It is devoted to providing information and commentary in support of human rights in Swaziland.
See also
SWAZILAND NEAR LAST FOR HUMAN RIGHTS
SWAZILAND UPDATE ON HUMAN RIGHTS
A DECADE OF NEWS AND VIEWS
http://swazimedia.blogspot.com/2017/07/a-decade-of-news-and-views.html
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