By Zweli Martin Dlamini

MBABANE: A bank account nicknamed “Sabela Uyabizwa” with alleged links to the Swaziland Liberation Movement(SWALIMO) President Mduduzi Magawugawu Simelane is actually registered as Eswatini Solidarity Fund with the South African First National Bank(FNB). 

An independent investigation by this Swaziland News uncovered that the account was ‘fraudulently’ created shortly after a group of international and local activists established the Swaziland International Solidarity Forces(SISF) to intensify the calls for democratic reforms in eSwatini.

It was then posted on Facebook with a downloaded internet video of people purported to be receiving military training, the bank account has been re-posted whenever this publication published the work of the Solidarity Forces calling upon members of the public to donate money for the struggle.

A questionnaire was sent to the SWALIMO President Mduduzi Magawugawu Simelane, however, he had not responded at the time of compiling this report.

Reached for comments, the Commander of the Solidarity Forces who is based and influential in South Africa confirmed that they investigated the account at the First National Bank(FNB) and discovered that it was linked to high profile people in the pro-democracy movement.

“We have concluded our preliminary investigations about that bank account and we are waiting for a decision from the highest command on what to do thereafter. These people have been using the work of the SISF to collect money from the public as if it’s them. As a result of this fraud, we decided to temporarily pause our activities as the Solidarity Forces to see if these people who are collecting money were working but we discovered that they have done nothing. They wait for us to work and once our work has been published in the media, they post banking details and collect money. We maintain that the Swaziland International Solidarity Forces(SISF) have no bank account authorized to collect money from the public,” said Commander of the Solidarity Forces.

It has been disclosed that the Commander of the Solidarity Forces who is influential in South Africa intends reporting the fraud to the law enforcement agency in that country.