By Zweli Martin Dlamini

MBABANE:Dr. Mzwandile Dube, an Investment Advisor to Prime Minister Russell Mmiso Dlamini allegedly disappointed a Russian billionaire who was interested in investing R10billion in the Lubhuku Electricity Project.

The Russian billionaire met the PM’s investment team at Cyprus Europe Island from 10th to the 15th May 2025 to discuss the electricity.

But upon arrival, the Prime Minister’s Investment Advisor started appreciating and taking pictures next the billionaire’s Rolls Royce cars while the investor was expecting the delegation to convince him about the project.

Reached for comments by this Swaziland News on Saturday evening, Dr. Mzwandile Dube said he was not the rightful person to respond and speak about the investment and details of the meeting with the investor.

“I am not the rightful person to speak and discuss details of the meeting you are asking me about”, said the Prime Minister’s Investment Advisor.

The Russian billionaire who wanted to assist eSwatini and invest in the sustainable energy project is an alleged close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, his name is known to this journalist but cannot be revealed until he agrees to have his name disclosed.

But the investor subsequently asked the PM’s investment team to compile a report and explain the project, the highly confidential report dated 05 June 2025 was submitted to the investor and this was after the Prime Minister’s Investment Advisor returned from the Europe Cyprus Island.

“This integrated report provides a comprehensive analysis of the Eswatini 200 MW coal-fired power plant at Lubhuku, a critical transitional project to guarantee electricity supply security when Eskom imports (992,000 MWh, ~80% of supply) expire in 2034. Eswatini cannot transition in the dark, and hydro, wind, solar, and Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) cannot provide the required baseload by 2034 due to transmission constraints,” reads the report in part.