Swaziland Newsletter No. 854 – 22
November 2024
News from and about Swaziland, compiled by
Global Aktion, Denmark (www.globalaktion.dk)
in collaboration with Swazi Media Commentary (www.swazimedia.blogspot.com),
and sent to all with an interest in Swaziland - free of charge.
Parliament
Public Accounts Committee (PAC) uncovers rampant corruption
By
Musa Mdluli, Swaziland News, 19 November, 2024
MALANTI: Madala Mhlanga, the Deputy
Speaker and Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) led a team of
Members of Parliament (MPs) on Monday who went to Malanti in the Hhohho region
to inspect a Dam that was queried by Auditor General (AG) Timothy Matsebula in
his reports.
This comes after Government allegedly
allocated R5.8million for a Dam that was never constructed, the Auditor General
who uncovered this alleged corruption was also present during the inspection
conducted by the PAC as part of the ongoing investigation.
The PAC, a public accountability wing of
Parliament that works with the Office of the AG, is highly expected to submit a
report to be debated by House of Assembly.
But Patrick Dlamini, the Land Development
Officer in the Ministry of Agriculture who also present during the inspection,
told the PAC members that, the construction of the Malanti Dam was ongoing.
But the MPs were not convinced as the
project that was meant to assist residents venture in farming, was to commence
in 2017 and almost ten (10) years later, the Dam hasn’t been completed despite
the fact that, a payment was made by Government.
Bongnkosi Dlamini, the Phondo Member of
Parliament (MPs) and member of the PAC, suggested that the matter must be
reported to the police.
“This matter must be reported to the
police”, said the visibly shocked MP who was also inspecting the site where the
Dam was to be constructed.
Nhlambeni MP and PAC Vice Chairman Manzi
Zwane demanded answers when will the Dam be completed but, the Project Manager
and Land Management Officer in the Ministry of Agriculture clarified that, it
will be completed by March next year.
But while Dlamini was responding,
Somntongo MP Sandile Nxumalo interjected saying,it cannot be possible to have
the Dam completed next year.
“It cannot be possible, this project has
been neglected for many years while public funds were looted. How can people
who failed to construct this Dam for many years, complete the project in a few
months?. It cannot be possible”, said the Somntongo MP.
E15M
donated by Taiwan down the drain
By
Sifiso Dlamini, eSwatini Observer, 16 November 2024
ABOUT E15 million donated by the Republic
of China (Taiwan) has gone down the drain as procurement of an emergency rescue
truck went wrong due to alleged flouting of government procurement procedures.
The truck, which was purchased from Marce
Fire Fighting Technology, a company based in Centurion, South Africain, 2021,
has still not been delivered three years later despite being paid for in full.
Investigations by the Public Accounts
Committee (PAC) uncovered that the funds were deposited into a personal account
of one of the company directors.
During an inspection in loco, the PAC only
found some parts of the truck that were yet to be assembled.
Its head was found at a separate
manufacturing company where it had been kept while waiting for full payment.
An emergency rescue truck, also known as a
heavy rescue truck, is a type of emergency vehicle designed to deal with
particularly severe incidents, such as fires and disasters, requiring a lot of
personnel and equipment.
These vehicles must also accommodate large
groups of people as well as the necessary tool to handle severe
conditions.
The truck had been procured for the
Eswatini National Fire Emergency and Rescue Services (ENFERS). It was not meant
for firefighting, but to rescue people trapped during accidents, either in road
traffic or collapsed buildings.
To read more of this report, click
here
http://new.observer.org.sz/details.php?id=23003
University falls apart amid struggles to pay staff,
providers
By Zachariah Mushawatu, University World News, 21
November 2024
The monetary crisis at the
University of Eswatini (UNESWA) is coming to a head after the institution
recently failed to pay service providers, resulting in its water supply being
cut off.
UNESWA has been operating at a loss for the past 10 years, Dr Bonginkhosi
Dlamini, a member of the Eswatini parliament and the parliamentary portfolio
committee on education, told University World News. He said the
university has been operating at a deficit of around SZL150 million to SZL200
million (between US$8.3 million and US$11.1 million) per fiscal year.
“As a result,” he said, “staff members receive part of their salaries, and the
university is struggling to pay its bills. The old infrastructure makes it
worse as about SZL450 million is needed to recapitalise the university.”
The situation at UNESWA is so bad that the university recently had to close,
Gabiey Ndukuya, the president of the Swaziland National Union of Students,
told University World News. “The institution is facing a financial
crisis and had to close for six weeks. They only issued a memo informing the
students to come back tomorrow [14 November] to resume lectures,” she said.
The university delayed reopening because its water supply had been cut off, Dr
Mduduzi Shongwe, a senior lecturer at UNESWA, said. Shongwe, who is also the
secretary general of the Association of Lecturers, Academic and Administrative
Personnel (ALAAP), said the university’s electricity and internet providers cut
their services at one point because UNESWA owed them money.
“The university owes a lot of money to lots of companies and service providers
and, right now, they [the university] are saying they don’t have money for
operations because the government is not forthcoming with the tuition fees they
are supposed to pay,” Shongwe said. The government of Eswatini pays tuition
fees for UNESWA students but is defaulting. According to Dlamini, the
government owed UNESWA SZL57 million (about US$3 million) in unpaid tuition
fees when the university’s financial troubles started.
At the heart of UNESWA’s monetary crisis are accusations that top executives at
the university are overpaid while UNESWA is struggling to make ends meet. One
of the major reasons UNESWA is constantly discussed in parliament, Dlamini
said, is failure by the university’s executive to explain “why they pay
themselves above the PEU guidelines”.
PEU stands for Public Enterprise Unit, an organ that
monitors the operational and financial affairs of public enterprises, such as
UNESWA.
To read more of
this report, click here
https://www.universityworldnews.com/post.php?story=20241120101710605
Ministry
of Housing and Urban Development, eSwatini
Facebook
post, 21 November 2024
The Ministry of Housing and Urban
Development, led by the Honourable Minister Apollo Maphalala, hosted a
heartfelt candlelight ceremony in observance of World AIDS Day. Held annually
on December 1st, this day serves as a poignant reminder of the global fight
against HIV/AIDS while honouring the lives of those affected by the epidemic.
The event brought together a diverse
community united in remembrance, solidarity, and a shared commitment to raising
awareness about HIV prevention and care. In attendance were local authorities,
alongside external partners such as AMMICAL, Young Heroes, and Bantwana, among
others. These organizations set up informative stalls to showcase their
initiatives and underscore the importance of HIV prevention.
A standout moment of the ceremony was the
signing of the Commitment to the Right to HIV Prevention by the Honourable
Minister and the mayors present. This act reaffirmed their dedication to
ensuring equitable access to HIV prevention and care services. Another
significant highlight was the symbolic candle-lighting ceremony, a gesture of
hope, remembrance, and resilience in the ongoing battle against HIV/AIDS.
The Honourable Minister, joined by mayors
from various local authorities, led the lighting of the candles, honouring
those affected by HIV/AIDS and reaffirming a collective determination to fight
for a future free from stigma and discrimination.
Let us stand united, support one another,
and work towards a world where no one is left behind. Together, we can make
this vision a reality.
DPM warns: surge in sodomy cases in
eSwatini
By
Nonduduzo Kunene, Times of eSwatini, 21 November 2024
LOBAMBA: The Deputy Prime Minister (DPM)
Thulisile Dladla says sodomy is one social ill that is currently taking over
the country.
Sodomy is the crime of forcing another
person to perform oral or anal sex. Dladla gave the warning yesterday in
Parliament during her office’s second quarter performance report debate by the
Senate portfolio committee. The DPM said the country has been taken over
by social ills perpetrated against boys and girls. The DPM said social ills are
not unique to Eswatini, but the entire world is facing similar challenges. She
said they have noted that there are people from other countries who enter Eswatini
with the purpose of abusing young girls and boys because they have money.
She highlighted that in other regions of
the world, sex work has been legalised, but the issue is the abuse or luring
children into sex work. “The abuse of young children, especially sodomy
committed against young boys is unacceptable,” she said.
The DPM said if sodomy is not addressed,
the country would find itself sinking deep in another social ill that can not
be fought. She said to clamp down on sodomy; they are working with law
enforcers to follow the issue in order to protect the children who are exposed
to sodomy. Dladla said the people who come into the country do not only
force the children into sodomy and sex work, but human trafficking as well.
“Human trafficking is also high because it
is another social ill that is taking over,” she said.
To read more of this report, click
here
http://www.times.co.sz/news/148172-dpm-warns-surge-in-sodomy-cases-in-eswatini.html
SWAZI
MEDIA COMMENTARY
Find us:
Blog: https://swazimedia.blogspot.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/142383985790674
X (formerly Twitter): https://twitter.com @Swazimedia
