MBABANE:Mavela Sigwane,the Federation of Eswatini Business Community(FESBC) Head of Business Transformation says,former Army Commander Lieutenant General Jeffery Sipho Shabalala is heading a security unit within the federation that will even arrest capitalists who are allegedly corrupt.
Speaking to this Swaziland News on Sunday during an exclusive interview when asked to clarify the role of the former Army Commander within the federation, Sigwane said,the federation of indigenous businesspeople was preparing to conduct a crackdown against foreign businesspeople and those who are allegedly using corrupt means to destroy the economy.
Shabalala,the highly expirienced former Head of Intelligence in the army was announced as FESBC’s Head of Safety and Security on Friday during the organization’s end of year presentation by FESBC President Tum ‘Buhlebemajaha’ DuPont.
“The former Army Commander is heading the Safety and Security Unit within the federation, we have acquired guns and we are now ready to start working. After collecting evidence, Shabalala’s Safety and Security Unit will visit the corrupt within their homes, arrest and hand them over to the police.We have heard Government Spokesperson Alpheous Nxumalo saying Government was concerned that we have acquired guns, what about Neal and Montigny who have mercenaries with guns and they even confessed that they have a list of people to be killed?.Inyatsi senior officers are escorted by security officers armed with guns.Is it an issue now that indigenous businesspeople are arming themselves? We can assure those foreign businesspeople who are looting our economy while indigenous businesspeople struggle that,kusetawugijinywa(we will deal with them). Furthermore, we don’t want anyone to touch our members who are dealing with dagga using POCA, that law was not established for dagga farmers but to deal with the people who are involved in illegal dealings to acquire wealth. Dagga farmers are just ordinary farmers who are farming cannabis that is in the process of being legalized”, said the FESBC Head of Business Transformation.
Sigwane said, they noted with great concern that SwaziPharm Director Kareem Ashraff and others who were cited in the looting of public funds within the Ministry of Health were still not arrested despite overwhelming evidence implicating them.He further expressed serious concern about Inyatsi boss Michello Shakantu and Montigny Investments Director Neal Rijikernberg who,he said were supposed to be behind bars by this time for alleged commercial crimes.
“Our Safety and Security Unit headed by the former Army Commander will also visit people like bo-Shakantu, Ashraff and Neal including those implicated in the drugs shortage scandal,arrest and hand them over to the police. Sitababamba nakukhona lokonakalako kutawulungiswa sibe sisebenta,kusetawuginyinywa”, he said.
On another note,Sigwane said FESBC was a global organization with partners around the world, he warn those who might try to use their political power to deregister the federation once it starts the crackdown against foreign businesspeople that, they won’t succeed as the organization was globally networked.
“While we deal with the foreign businesspeople this side who are looting our economy, we will work with our global partners and approach the courts within the countries where the money that was stolen here is hidden and freeze their bank accounts.We want the economy to benefit the people including the indigenous businesspeople.It should be noted that, while doing this, we won’t touch our King, we know the King’s weakness in all this but, he is our King we won’t touch him. We want to deal with these foreign capitalists”,said the FESBC Head of Business Transformation.
Tension is escalating between foreign and indigenous businesspeople in eSwatini amid concerns suggesting that, companies owned by foreigners are grabbing giant businesses and dominating the economy.
Eswatini has about 70% of the population living below the poverty line and situation that is slowly causing tension within the Kingdom,was worsened by amongst others, inequality in the distribution of wealth and public resources.
FESBC Head of Business Transformation Mavela Sigwane.