By Zweli Martin Dlamini

MBABANE:King Mswati’s trip to Turkey where he is attending the Diplomacy Forum will allegedly cost taxpayers over R200million.

This disclosure comes amid financial constraints within the University of eSwatini(UNESWA),operations were halted this week, exams postponed after Lecturers boycotted classes demanding payment of their salaries including deducted un-remitted Medical Aid monies.

It has been disclosed that, the King travelled with about one hundred(100) members of the delegation and this include public officials, royal family members and security personnel,he left the country on Wednesday.

Each member of the delegation according to information in our possession will receive between one hundred and fifty thousand(R150,000.00) and two hundred and fifty thousand Rands(R250,000.00) each as a traveling allowance, depending on the seniority.

Other costs include travel tickets for some members of the delegation that travelled before the King, hotel accommodation, costs of the private jet, King Mswati and his wife Inkhosikati LaNkambule’s allowance among others.

When asked by this Swaziland News on Thursday to clarify the costs of the trip,King’s Spokesperson Percy Simelane said, his office “don’t handle” finances including hotel booking hence he was not aware of the costs.

“We don't handle finances and hotel  bookings,we would not know”, said the King’s Spokesperson.

A questionnaire was sent to Foreign Affairs Minister Pholile Dlamini Shakantu,however,she had not responded at the time of compiling this report.

Eswatini has about 70% of the population living below the poverty line and the World Food Programme(WFP), in its 2021 report, disclosed that over two hundred and thirty-four thousand (234 000) eMaswati urgently in need of food-aid,were supported by the United Nations(UN) agency through various programmes.

“WFP supported over 234,000 food insecure people through activities implemented to support shock-affected communities, smallholder farmers as well as people living with HIV in Eswatini.This fact-sheet outlines WFP’s key achievements in providing lifesaving assistance in Eswatini in 2021,” reads the WFP report in part, seen by this publication.

On another note,the country is currently facing an education and health crisis,no drugs in public hospitals while institutions of higher learning including the University of eSwatini(UNESWA), Southern Africa Nazarene University(SANU) and state owned newspaper eSwatini Observer struggle without resources.

Reached for comments on Thursday morning, Sivumelwano Nyembe,the Spokesperson of the pro-democracy MultiStakeholder Forum(MSF) said,the Nation must conduct a critical assessment of the expensive international trips, including those where it “is alleged the King travels” for purposes of engaging with investors.

“R200 million planted in local investors can results in sustainable jobs. If such funds are used to pay SMEs that are owed by government,it can help retain already existing jobs.The country needs a multiparty system, which strengths real accountability and help avoid frivolous expenditures.We need to have lean delegations”, said the MSF Spokesperson.