MBABANE:Prime Minister(PM) Russell Mmiso Dlamini has allegedly violated Eswatini Customary Law, the Prevention of Corruption Act and public administration principles in that, he allegedly received seventeen(17) cattle from three(3) Cabinet Ministers as ‘tetfulo’.
The Ministers, it is alleged,thanked the PM for considering them during appointments.
Kwetfula is a Customary practice meant to appreciate King’s and Chiefs for good traditional leadership.
The Ministers who presented the cattle to the PM include Economic Planning Minister Dr Thambo Gina who presented five(5) cattle,Agriculture Minister (7 cattle) and Tinkhundla Minister Sikhumbuzo Dlamini who presented five(5) cattle,the cows are allegedly kept at Nhlambeni.
Prime Minister Russell Dlamini declined to comment when asked by this publication why he received the cattle from the Ministers and, if Eswatini Law and Custom also allows him to accept cattle like the King.
Reached for comments on Monday evening,King’s Spokesperson Percy Simelane clarified that kwetfula “is exclusively reserved” for the Monarch.
“Our experience is that tetfulo(King's presents) are an exclusivity of the Monarch,the rest of us receive gifts.Just like in the case of libation,the traditional beer that is poured on the ground to appease ancestors.It’s an exclusivity for the dead and not anyone in the family.We are however mindful of the fact that innocently people use words that do not belong to a particular situation. Princesses in this country are at times referred to as Emazinyane even by the media yet that applies only to Princes”, said the King’s Spokesperson.
Government Spokesperson Alpheous Nxumalo declined to comment about the matter, he was asked to respond on behalf of the three(3) Ministers.
On another note,the Ministers are alleged to have presented the cattle to the Prime Minister thanking him for the political appointments as Cabinet Ministers.
A cow(pic: Facebook).