MBABANE:Prince Lonkhokhela, the Board Chairman of Tisuka TakaNgwane allegedly colluded with other board members to fraudulently loot over R1million in sitting allowances.
Responding to our questionnaire on Tuesday evening, Prince Lonkhokhela who doubles as the Chief Executive Officer(CEO) of the Eswatini National Provident Fund(SNPF) denied the allegations.
The Prince described the accusations and/or allegations as a lie, he challenged those who accused him to produce substantive evidence.
“Absolute lie, angikwati loko, whoever claims that should substantiate with evidence,” said the Prince.
The board members who are allegedly involved in looting the Tisuka TakaNgwane funds include Felizwe Dlamini, Prince Lonkhonkhela(Chairman), Make Dumsile Sigwane, Jameson Gule and Siphephiso Dlamini,the former Chief Executive Officer(CEO) of the National Agricultural Marketing Board(NAMBOARD).
On another note, Siphephiso Dlamini is alleged to have demanded over sixty thousand Rands(R60,000.00) from Tisuka TakaNgwane management to buy a software for purposes of recording board meetings.
Each member received five thousand and thirty-six Rands, twenty-three cents(R5,036-23) per-sitting,plus a retainer of One-Thousand, five hundred and ninety-eight Rands, eighty cents(R1,598-80).
The Chairman Prince Lonkhokhela would walk-away with five thousand, eight hundred and seventy-five Rands, sixty-two cents(R5,875-62) per-sitting plus a retainer of Two-Thousand, two hundred and thirty-eight Rands.
Reached for comments, Dr Nicholas Nyawo, the Tisuka TakaNgwane General Manager first asked this investigative journalist to send the documents to him,so he can check and verify.
When told that the documents cannot be released as he might have an idea of the Tisuka TakaNgwane Department where these documents were sourced and in the process expose our sources, Dr Nyawo then pleaded with this journalist to hold the story for now.
“If we agree that you don’t show me the documents, can you at least hold the story for now, I will come back to you,” said the Tisuka General Manager.
But an insider told this Swaziland News that the General Manager,was warned by the Board not to inform their Majesties about the alleged looting and in return, he will have his contract renewed.
Dr Nicholas Nyawo, the Tisuka General Manager is now seventy-eight(78) years old.
“The General Manager has been warned never to say anything to their Majesties or even visit them without the knowledge of the Board. This past Wednesday(about three weeks ago), he failed to tell the Queen Mother the truth after being questioned,” said the insider.
It has been disclosed that the Tisuka TakaNgwane board members would sometimes meet at a restaurant for lunch, call that ‘social gathering’ a board meeting and subsequently, process and forward claims to the General Manager.
It been disclosed that each member would claim between twenty(R20,000.00) and thirty thousand Rands(R30,000.00) per-month.
A document in possession of this Swaziland News,allegedly signed by Tisuka TakaNgwane General Manager Nicholas Nyawo further suggests that the board members claimed R3.50/km as a traveling allowance.
Tisuka TakaNgwane was established in 1976 by King Sobhuza to assist Swazis mitigate poverty, contributions were collected from the public to finance the entity but subsequently, it was,like Tibiyo TakaNgwane, manipulated to fund royalty.
Prince Lonkhokhela.