MBABANE:Mandla Hlatjwako, the Chairperson of the Letfu Sonkhe Institute for Strategic Thinking and Development says King Mswati, an absolute Monarch, earns R5million per day.
Addressing participants during the 29 June, 2021 Massacre Commemoration on Saturday held in Johannesburg, Hlatjwako said they conducted an investigation and discovered that the King was earning R1.3 billion per year,however, experts from the Treasury Department and Central Bank allegedly assisted them with information exposing that the amount was around R2.1billiion per year.
“We conducted an investigation and discovered that he(King) was earning around R1.3 billion per year but experts from the Treasury and Central Bank provided more information suggesting that the amount was around R2.1 billion. You can take your own calculator and calculate that with 365 days, you will discover that the money is actually close to R6 million per-day. This amount excludes the money he earns from Tibiyo and the wealth he accumulated through the Swazi Nation Land(SNL) investments,” said the Letfu Sonkhe Chairperson.
Reached for comments, King Mswati’s Spokesperson Percy Simelane demanded evidence before responding.
“I would need proof before I respond,” said the King’s Spokesperson.
When told that the King’s Spokesperson demanded evidence,the Letfu Sonkhe Chairperson referred Simelane to a report about the International Monetary Fund(IMF) where the monies paid to the absolute Monarch were stated.
“Don’t worry, I will produce an IMF report that stated the monies paid to the King so that he can see that we not speculating,”said the Letfu Sonkhe Chairperson.
On another note, this Swaziland News previously reported that part of the money allegedly looted by Mswati was disguised as a budget for the Ministry of Defense in the National budget, Parliament is restricted from demanding accountability of monies looted by Mswati.
On around 12th May 2014, Khabonina Mabuza, the then Principal Secretary in the Ministry of Finance told the Public Accounts Committee(PAC) inside Parliament that R208million went missing from Government coffers.
When questioned further by the PAC,she alleged that the matter touched on Labadzala(country’s authorities).
“With the permission of the committee I would request that I not expand too much because the issue touches on Labadzala”, said the then Principal Secretary in the Ministry of Finance, she was subsequently fired by Mswati.
Eswatini is a tiny Kingdom situated in Southern Africa with about 70% of the population living below the poverty line, public resources including taxes are used to sustain Mswati’s lavish lifestyle.
The King has four(4)jets, a fleet of Rolls Royce and BMWs, the International Convention Centre(ICC) worth about R 10 billion built with public funds,shares in various giants that include MTN Eswatini and Swazi Mobile among others.
Two of the planes were purchased by Government with public funds for the Royal Eswatini National Airways Corporation(RENAC),an entity fully controlled by the absolute Monarch.
Mswati also owns shares at Inyatsi Construction through Tibiyo TakaNgwane, an entity that he uses to grab construction tenders from Government.
King Mswati(pic: gov).