LOBAMBA: King Mswati has once again concluded the purchasing of two more jets without Parliament approval, triggering tension from pro-democracy Members of Parliament particularly Marwick Khumalo who demanded answers on the circumstances surrounding the purchase.
Eswatini is a tiny Kingdom situated in Southern Africa with about 70% of the population living below the poverty line, taxes are used to sustain King Mswati’s lavish lifestyle who has since become a multi-billionaire and is now expected to own four(4) jets purchased with public funds.
“We were in a meeting where the Minister of Finance was addressing us on another matter and one of the things that were raised in that meeting was: tell us Minister where the money to buy these jets came from because as Parliament, we didn’t approve any budget for these jets?. The Minister responded and said he was also not aware and eager to know where the money came from”, said the Lobamba Lomdzala MP inside Parliament last week.
It has been disclosed that before concluding the purchasing of the jets, Mswati established a parastatal and named it the Royal Eswatini National Airways Corporation(RENAC), the new royal linked entity will be fully controlled by the absolute Monarch through his Government.
But during the budget debate of the Ministry of Public Works and Transport, MP Marwick Khumalo was vocal, demanding to know if RENAC by virtue of being a Government parastatal was not answerable to Parliament.
It could not be ascertained if part of the R2.1billion allocated to the Ministry of Public Works and Transport will finance the purchasing of Mswati’s jets.
Eswatini is facing shortage of drugs in hospitals, scholarship crisis, non-maintenance of roads and low salaries for civil servants among others as more money sustain King Mswati’s extravagant life.
Previously, Mswati’s government would allocate billions either to the Ministry of Defense or Public Works, part of the money was allegedly laundered to fund the King’s lavish lifestyle.
Efforts were made to reach Chief Ndlaluhlaza Ndwandwe, the Minister of Public Works and Transport, however his phone rang unanswered.
Mandla Hlatshwayo, the Chairperson of the Letfu Sonkhe Institute for Strategic Thinking and Development told this Swaziland News that the purchasing of the jets confirmed that Sikhuphe was built for Mswati’s private jets to park.
“We have serious social issues like the health crisis that could have been addressed by the Government instead of purchasing jets. We are eagerly waiting to see where the money for the jets came from”, said the Letfu Sonkhe Chairperson.
King Mswati’s private jet