By Zweli Martin Dlamini

MBABANE: An investigation conducted by this Swaziland News has uncovered how Themba Masuku,the then Deputy Prime Minister(DPM) masterminded alleged fraud by receiving donor funds from UNICEF but went on to cash about two-hundred thousand Rands(R200,000.00) from public coffers.

The former DPM took a trip to Geneva-Switzerland where he was attending the United Nations Dialogue on the Rights of Children with an alleged intention to loot public and donor funds, other world leaders participated virtually at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.

UNICEF stands for United Nations International Children Emergency Fund, an organization established by the UN General Assembly to, among others, fund activities and programs in protection of children’s rights around the world.

It has been disclosed that,before taking the unjustifiable trip at the height of COVID-19 around September 2021 and a few months after commanding the shooting and killing of civilians during the recent political unrest, the King’s trusted man through his Office, wrote a letter to UNICEF, requesting funding and his justification or motivation for the said request was that, the eSwatini Government was facing financial challenges.

But after cashing or receiving funding approval from the donors- UNICEF, Themba Nhlanganiso Masuku, who was acting as Prime Minister at the time, went on to issue an order to Government officials including the Treasury Department to process a payment, for the same trip that was funded by UNICEF thus committing an alleged act of fraud and corruption.

But apart from defrauding the State, the then Acting Head of Government,included his wife Dimpho Masuku with an alleged intention to cash more money from the State coffers.

As a result, together with his wife collectively benefited about two hundred thousand Rands(R200,000.00) public funds excluding the monies paid by UNICEF.

A bundle of documentary evidence obtained by this Swaziland News Investigation Unit further substantiates how taxpayers paid for an air ticket amounting to E48,723.00 for the former DPM’s wife to enjoy herself with her husband at a luxurious hotel in Switzerland in a trip that was fully funded by donors.

The documents were intercepted by this publication through the chain of communication and payment processes that went through the Ministry of Finance.

It has been disclosed that the former DPM subsequently presented a report where he told the UN that eSwatini Government prioritized the welfare of children.

“Presenting that report, Themba Nhlanganiso Masuku, the Deputy Prime Minister of Eswatini and head of the delegation,noted that children made up almost half of the country’s population, adding that their education, social protection and health was a priority to the Government”, read a statement and or a report dated 15th September 2021 and published on the UN Geneva website.

But a separate investigation by this publication uncovered that apart from his wife,  the DPM left the country with four(4) police officers from his security team and they returned after eight(8) days.

State documents in our possession further reveal that despite being funded by UNICEF, the former Deputy Prime Minister received R96,000.00 as subsistence allowance, R9,600.00 for hospitality and R300.00 as a conference allowance from public coffers.

But apart from that,the DPM pocketed R6,000.00 as another subsistence allowance just for passing through South Africa for one(1) day as part of his Geneva trip.

The total amount received by the DPM as stated in the documents is R111,900.00 while his wife received R72,723.00 and this means the Masuku family benefitted E184,623.00 from taxpayers money just for one international trip to Geneva-Switzerland.

A questionnaire was sent to Themba Masuku, the former Deputy Prime Minister(DPM), however,he had not responded at the time of compiling this report.

It has been disclosed that,Amina Mohammed,the UNICEF Eswatini Resident Representative launched an investigation after receiving a questionnaire from this Swaziland News this week.

But surprisingly, the investigation was not to hold the former DPM accountable or in terms of transparency and accountability principles, it is alleged that, the probe was to ascertain who might have leaked the information to this journalist among the UN Eswatini staff.

It remains unclear if the Resident Representative was complicit or not to the fraud and if she demanded answers or clarity why the DPM was funded by the State for the same trip funded by UNICEF.

But the investigation is said to have escalated after the UNICEF Resident Representative told some senior UN staff members that she received an email from this journalist demanding answers about the matter.

“Good afternoon Resident Amina Mohammed(Resident Representative).We have received information from sources within the Deputy Prime Minister’s Office that, former DPM Themba was funded by UNICEF to attend the United Nations(UN) Dialogue on Children Rights in September 2021.We are confirming if it’s true?”, reads the email, the Resident Representative had not responded at the time of compiling this report.

Reached for comments on Saturday morning, Brian Sangweni, the National Spokesperson of the People’s United Democratic Movement(PUDEMO) said, receiving funds from multiple sources for the same item without disclosing, amounts to corruption.

“It is considered corruption to receive funds from multiple sources for the same item without disclosing such to the sources particularly in the working of government and development partners. Transactions within these partnerships ought to be done with transparency and there should be accountability on how funds have been used.The former Deputy Prime Minister was however accustomed to the working style of Tinkhundla government which lacks ethics, transparency and accountability”, said the PUDEMO National Spokesperson.