By Zweli Martin Dlamini

MBABANE:Prince Lonkhokhela,the Minister of Natural Resources and Energy allegedly colluded with his daughter Princess Simile and Minerals Board Chairperson Prince Guduza to smuggle a newly discovered multibillion kaolin clay mineral to Mozambique through the Mhlumeni boarder,an independent investigation reveals.

Eswatini has about 70% of the population living below the poverty line,State institutions that include the health and education sectors are collapsing,despite the availability of mineral resources that benefit King Mswati, members of the royal family and close allies.

The kaolin clay mineral that was recently discovered by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Energy at Mashobeni in the Shiselweni Region,is used for, among others, manufacturing rubber, paint,and many other products with a huge market in China and other countries.

It has been disclosed that,a highly questionable mining license was granted to SALT(Pty) Ltd,a company allegedly owned by Princess Simile and her Zambian husband Darlington Mwape, the license was allegedly issued without the King’s approval and in violation of the Mines and Minerals Act.

But the alleged ‘illegal’ mining deal allegedly backfired after one Chinese investor made moves to approach the King seeking permission or his own license to mine the same kaolin clay mineral at Mashobeni.

It was then discovered that a similar license “has already been issued to the company” allegedly owned by Prince Lonkhokhela’s daughter and her Zambian husband.

Subsequently, serious tension allegedly erupted within the royal family between King Mswati, Prince Guduza and Natural Resources and Energy Minister Prince Lonkhokhela who was once named the Crown Prince(Liphosakubekwa) and almost became the King before being disqualified by Ligunca after developing kutfomba.

An independent investigation conducted by this Swaziland News further uncovered that, the mining allegedly started at Mashobeni on the 1st March 2024 and prior to the commencement of the operations, the road towards the mining site was prepared on or around the 28th February 2024.

But the operations were then stopped or halted a few days ago after the information about the alleged ‘illegal’ mining reached the attention of King Mswati and the kaolin clay mining deal subsequently back-fired.

But before halting the mining of the kaolin clay, amid alleged tension with the King,the influential,powerful and politically connected royal syndicate had already mined and exported the mineral with sixteen(16) trucks, each truck was reportedly transporting thirty-two(32) tonnes.

A research conducted by this publication uncovered that,one(1) tonne of the kaolin clay mineral costs over one hundred and sixty United States Dollars($160.00) and this is equivalent to three thousand Rands(R3,000.00).

This means each truck was loaded and transporting a kaolin worth about one hundred thousand Rands(R100,000.00) and the sixteen(16)trucks allegedly smuggled the mineral worth R1.6million within a month.  

The Investigation Unit of this publication managed to take pictures of the trucks transporting the mineral, it could not be ascertained how the mineral was smuggled at the Mhlumeni Boarder without being noticed by officials of the Eswatini Revenue Service(ERS).

Efforts to reach Vusi Dlamini, the Eswatini Revenue Authority(ERS) Marketing and Communications Director proved unsuccessful as his phone rang unanswered.

Reached for comments by this Swaziland News on Wednesday,Darlington Mwape, the Zambian businessman and husband to Prince Lonkhonkhela’s daughter Princess Simile confirmed that,they were granted a license to mine the kaolin clay at Mashobeni.

“I can confirm that we were granted a license to mine at Mashobeni but send a questionnaire so we can respond formally”, said the Zambian husband to Prince Lonkhokhela’s daughter Princess Simile who then ‘disappeared’ after receiving the questionnaire.

Efforts to reach Princess Simile proved unsuccessful at the time of compiling this report.

Both Minerals Board Chairperson Prince Guduza and Natural Resources and Energy Minister Prince Lonkhokhela had not responded at the time of compiling this report.

It has been disclosed that, there were moves to withdraw the SALT(Pty)Ltd mining license that was not signed or approved by Mswati after the mineral deal backfired and subsequently created tension between the King and the powerful members of the royal family.

But an independent investigation conducted by this Swaziland News further uncovered that, Prince Lonkhokhela and the royal syndicate that include his daughter, the Zambian son-in law and Prince Guduza, contracted Mduduzi ‘Small Joe’ Dlamini, the then Tinkhundla Minister and former Maseyisini Member of Parliament(MP) for excavators and other plant equipments to be used during the alleged illegal mining.

Reached for comments on Wednesday morning, former MP Mduduzi ‘Small Joe’ Dlamini confirmed that he provided his excavator to the new mine but said he later stopped.

“It’s true that I was providing an excavator but I stopped providing that service.Bengingati kutsi sekumiwe,mine ngati kutsi solo kuyasetjetwa”,said the former Maseyisini MP, now a businessman, the ex-MP did not elaborate why he stopped being part of the mineral deal. 

Responding to this Swaziland News on Wednesday afternoon, Percy Simelane,the King’s Spokesperson referred comments to the Spokesperson or Chairman of the Mines and Minerals Board with regards to the alleged ‘back door’ mining license.

“The Minerals Board has its Spokesperson,the Chairman.He is in a better position to respond to the allegations of the “back door” license issuance to mine kaolin at Mashobeni.Our experience is that by the time the King approves a license of this nature and signs, checks and balances are completed to the satisfaction of the Mining Board.We believe if a mistake was made,it would be the Board that squares up to it speedily so that we all end up with uncontaminated procedure as a country”, said the King’s Spokesperson.

But Brian Sangweni,the National Spokesperson of the People’s United Democratic Movement(PUDEMO) said there was a possibility that,a majority of the Mines in the country were being utilized for selfish gains.

“We wouldn’t be surprised even to hear that a majority of the Mines in Eswatini are being utilized for selfish gains.This is the true character of Tinkhundla in particular members of the royal family.They think that the country and everything within it is their birth inheritance.Further investigations need to be made to asses if the rest of the mines are not being utilized in such a manner otherwise the democratic government will inherit an empty land”, said the PUDEMO Spokesperson.