In this country, there are different corporate syndicates but we don’t expect a whole Cabinet Minister to speak like Phila Buthelezi and take sides in the event a corporate conflict erupts because these syndicates have conflicting business interests but, remain major players in the country’s economy.
Derrick Shiba, the newly appointed Eswatini National Provident Fund(ENPF) Board Chairman is allegedly linked to Inyatsi Group Executive Chairman Michello Shakantu and Business Eswatini Chief Executive Officer(CEO) Nathie Dlamini is allegedly linked to Finance Minister Neal Rijikernberg.
Well, to be precise, Nathie Dlamini is allegedly linked to a group of powerful ‘white’ businesspeople linked the Finance Minister and Montigny Investments Director Andrew Le-Roux while Shiba is allegedly linked to the Inyatsi Group highly connected syndicate.
As a journalist I will not take sides because due to the nature of my job, I know almost everyone in this country, I engaged the newly appointed ENPF Board Chairman Derrick Shiba off-record and I also engaged the Business Eswatini CEO off-record just to try and understand the seriousness of the conflict.
But in journalism, issues discussed off-record cannot be published it’s just a courtesy conversation to make that particular journalist or editor understand context of the subject matter.
Perhaps, let me cast aspersions on Labour and Social Security Minister who was quoted by the Times saying “ENPF Chairman going nowhere”, I know that headlines are the prerogative of editors but the context of the article suggests that, the headline was accurate, Phila Buthelezi allegedly sided with Derrick Shiba.
Now, Minister Phila Buthelezi is part of Cabinet, I know how he tricked Prime Minister Russell Mmiso Dlamini before announcing the ENPF Governing Board and that, he doesn’t have the support of the PM in all this.
In siSwati “wonkhe umuntfu uphetfwe”, I was expecting the Labour and Social Security Minister to first consult Cabinet or the PM for guidance on this issue before granting media interviews and releasing press statements.
It is clear that in this matter, the corporate syndicate linked to Business Eswatini CEO Nathie Dlamini and Finance Minister Neal Rijikernberg is at loggerheads with the syndicate linked to Derrick Shiba and Inyatsi Group Executive Chairman Michello Shakantu.
But both syndicates are major players in the economy and despite the fact that Derrick Shiba is linked to Inyatsi, he established his own businesses, he is an employer.
On the other hand, Business Eswatini is a very influential organization and a wide network of businesspeople and corporate entities.
It is therefore important for Labour and Social Security Minister Phila Buthelezi to handle this matter with the highest level of political maturity, “akusiyo game yebantfwana lena labakhuluma bangakakhuhlutisi letinhloko, ngalelinye lilanga utawushiya lelive Phila Buthelezi” he is old enough to understand this.
Phila Buthelezi is owning a business including trucks contracted to Inyatsi Construction and I am not sure if he declared this to Cabinet or the Prime Minister, he is conflicted in this matter.
But I am not suggesting that Derrick Shiba must be removed because of his alleged links to Inyatsi Group because, even the syndicate linked to Business Eswatini CEO Nathie Dlamini and Neal Rijikernberg has its own business agendas.
It is absolutely wrong for the Labour Minister to speak like a Member of Parliament(MP) backbencher, Business Eswatini, the Trade Union Congress of Swaziland(TUCOSWA), the Federation of Eswatini Business Community (FESBC) and the Federation of Swaziland Trade Unions (FESWATU) raised concerns about the appointment of Derrick Shiba and they have all the rights to do so as representatives of workers and employers.
An MP backbencher can speak his/her opinion but a Cabinet Minister must communicate a Cabinet resolution because Cabinet is normally consulted before the appointment of these Governing Boards.
But let me emphasize this and without disregarding the significance of the other ENPF Social Partners; Business Eswatini is representating a wide network of businesspeople while TUCOSWA is representing workers through their trade unions.
The question here is; who is Derrick Shiba representing and the Labour Minister cannot ignore this fundamental question and disregard the voices of Business Eswatini and TUCOSWA because these are employees and employers contributing to the Provident Fund.
ENPF is at a very critical stage, converting into a National Pension Fund, Labour Minister Phila Buthelezi must handle this matter with maturity, these are public funds and if there are concerns from legitimate organizations like TUCOSWA, Business Eswatini, FESBC and FESWATU, who is Phila Buthelezi to tell them to back-off?.
In leadership, you don’t take sides without hearing both sides of the story, Phila Buthelezi thinks he can just tell Business Eswatini, FESBC, FESWATU and TUCOSWA to back-off and side with Derrick Shiba.
I am smelling a Cabinet reshuffle and the new Labour Minister will be mandated to dissolve the ENPF Governing Board and appoint a new Board in accordance with the law.
But I am also smelling an urgent court application challenging the appointment of Derrick Shiba and all this, we must ensure that the ENPF Management is allowed to continue working and protecting the public funds.
Eswatini National Provident Fund is owned by workers and employers are contributing with the powers to question the ENPF governing structure, this is not “Phila Buthelezi Fund”, asekume lokudlalela dvutane, nekufuna kuhwaphuluta timali tesive”.
Labour Minister Phila Buthelezi.