MHLUME: King Mswati linked Royal Eswatini Sugar Corporation(RESC) allegedly abuses public resources by instructing police officers to work as security guards, an independent investigation reveals.
Mswati is an absolute Monarch with Executive, Judicial and Legislative powers, he allegedly holds shares in various giant companies directly or indirectly.
When questioned by this Swaziland News in the midst of this investigation, Nick Jackson, the Managing Director of the Royal Eswatini Sugar Corporation denied that his company was using the police as security guards adding that they have their own security company that provides such services.
“It is not true that we are using the Police to provide security for our pump stations. We have our own private security company for that”, said the RESC Managing Director.
But evidence in our possession in a form of pictures substantiates that indeed,the company uses armed police officers from Tshaneni Police Station as their security guards.
But apart from the photographic evidence revealing the police officers being picked by the sugar company car to their workstation, this publication is in possession of circumstantial evidence linked to the Tshaneni Police Station where the officers were recorded in a police occurrence book before and after reporting for duty at the Mhlume Royal Eswatini Sugar Corporation(RESC).
A questionnaire was sent to William Tsintsibala Dlamini, the National Commissioner, however, he had not responded at the time of compiling this report.
Reached for comments, lawyer Thulani Maseko, the Chairperson of the Multi-Stakeholder Forum(MSF) said it was against the law to use police officers and disguise them as security guards.
“The police institution was established through the Police Act, it’s mandate is governed by the Act and this include detecting crime and assisting the prosecution to bring perpetrators of crime to the justice system.They are also expected to provide the State with security for purposes of maintaining public order and governance.One would not expect that members of the police service would be used to disguise as private security guards, that appears to be in consistent with the law,” said the Chairperson of the Multi-Stakeholder Forum.
It has been disclosed that the sugar company contracted ForHim Security Services to provide security, however, Water Pumps sites were guarded by the police, something which insiders within the police service described as unfair competition for security companies that provide jobs to Swazis.
“As police officers, we are not supposed to provide such services to the company, these services should be provided by security companies. We cannot be seen competing with security companies as State police officers,” said a police officer whose name cannot be revealed for ethical reasons.
Lucky Ngubane, the Managing Director of ForHim Security Services declined to comment when reached by this publication saying he doesn’t speak on matters involving the company.
“It’s better for you to contact the company, I can’t comment on this”,he said.
The Royal Eswatini Sugar Corporation(RESC) is a company allegedly linked to King Mswati through Tibiyo TakaNgwane.
It has been disclosed that the instruction to deploy police officers to guard the water pumps came amid security threats to various companies with links to the King in the midst of the political unrest.
Royal Sugar Company uses State police officers as security guards.