MBABANE:Documents have emerged substantiating how Nanikie Mnisi, the Principal Secretary(PS) in the Ministry of Education and Training wrote to Clerk to Parliament Benedict Xaba, facilitating the reported over five hundred thousand Rands(R500,000.00) Cape Town trip for Members of Parliament(MPs) in what appeared to be a systematic bribery strategy to silence compromise the legislators amid investigation into allegations of corruption within the Eswatini Medical Christian University(EMCU).
In a letter dated 31st October 2025 and addressed to Clerk to Parliament Benedict Xaba, the PS acted on behalf of the University and invited MPs of the Education Portfolio Committee for the Cape Town trip and worth-noting, about half of the members of the delegation are members of the Parliament Select Committee tasked with investigating corruption within the same Christian University.
“This is a cordial invitation for the Education Portfolio Committee in the House of Assembly to join the Eswatini Medical Christian University Council in a team building exercise scheduled for the 9th-12 November, 2025. All costs associated with this expenditure will be incurred by the University”, reads the letter in part, allegedly signed by the Principal Secretary.
It has been disclosed that, the costs of the trip include flight tickets, accommodation and entertainment allowance among others, PS Nanikie Mnisi who allegedly enjoys an alleged corrupt relationship with the Administrators of the University is alleged to have organized the international trip.
The PS had not responded at the time of compiling this report while efforts to reach Clerk to Parliament Benedict Xaba proved unsuccessful at the time of compiling this report.
But the MPs who left the country to Cape Town include Shawnette Henwood, Futhi Ngcamphalala, Bongkhosi Dlamini, Nokuthula Dlamini, Zanele Mashaba, Charles Ndlovu, Thandeka Mavuso, Wilton Nkambule, Manqoba Sihlongonyane, Manzi Zwane and Thulane Nsingwane.
Reached for comments earlier by this Swaziland News, Ngudzeni MP Charles Ndlovu said not all the MPs who travelled to Cape Town “are part of the Parliament Select Committee” tasked with investigating the same institution of higher learning.
“There’s a Select Committee responsible for the investigation, it’s not all of us”, he said.
On another note, the Cape Town trip has placed about half the number of the MPs in a conflict of interest situation and, opened the ‘door’ for Parliament critics to cast aspersions regarding the ability of the MPs to investigate the politically connected Eswatini Medical Christian University.
EVIDENCE:How Education Principal Secretary(PS) Nanikie Mnisi wrote to Clerk to Parliament Benedict Xaba, facilitating over R500,000.00 Cape Town MPs to bribe them amid corruption investigation at Christian University.