By Zweli Martin Dlamini

LUDZIDZINI: Cleopas Sipho Dlamini, the former Prime Minister(PM) and retired Chief Executive Officer(CEO) of the Public Service Pension Fund(PSPF) watched helplessly as King Mswati officially dumped him publicly and announced Mmemo Russel Dlamini as the new Prime Minister.

Dlamini was appointed after allowing the King to loot millions within the Pension Fund through questionable loans awarded to companies with alleged links to the Monarch, an investigation by the Financial Services Regulatory Authority(FSRA) was subsequently stopped by Cabinet through the then Public Service Minister Owen Nxumalo.

Retired Pension Fund CEO Cleopas Sipho Dlamini was later rewarded with a position as a Senator and subsequently appointed as Prime Minister after the death of the then PM Ambrose Mandvulo Dlamini.

But around March 2020, private companies and international organizations donated monies amounting to over R500million to fight the COVID-19 pandemic, newly appointed PM Mmemo Russel Dlamini, the then Chief Executive Officer(CEO) of the National Disaster Management Agency(NDMA) failed to account for about R180million of the donations and part of the money was to be distributed to members of the public.

Information later emerged suggesting that,companies with indirect links to King Mswati looted the public monies and as a result, the new Prime Minister, despite failing to account for the about R180million, was not arrested.

The Times of eSwatini, quoting the report of the Auditor General(AG) Timothy Matsebula reported that,Prime Minister Mmemo Russel Dlamini, the then NDMA CEO denied that, the about R180million was unaccounted for.

“This is not true.The reason why I say this is untrue is because NDMA has been audited six times and it was found that the AG had made an anomaly in his report,” said the then NDMA CEO as quoted by the Times of eSwatini.

But Timothy Matsebula, the Auditor General(AG) confirmed that, his report was accurate and maintained that, about R180million was unaccounted for by the NDMA.

“I do not know the six audit reports, and I don’t believe it is true. I was the last auditor and that is it,” said the Auditor General as quoted by the Times.

But on Friday, King Mswati urged the Nation to support the newly appointed Prime Minister, saying no one “is perfect”.

Addressing the Nation at Ludzidzini Palace during Sibaya national gathering the King said,the new PM will address issues of poverty among others adding that, the country was faced with social and economic disasters.

“No one is perfect, the new Prime Minister needs advice and guidance from you”, said the King.

On another note, King Mswati said, the country was struggling with corruption, escalating prices of basic commodities in a country affected by issues of poverty.He said the new PM must work towards addressing the challenges affecting the people.