By Zweli Martin Dlamini

SIMUNYE:Nick Jackson,the Managing Director of the Royal Eswatini Sugar Corporation(RESC) has been implicated in an over R200million corruption scandal and/or conflict of interest in that,he allegedly influenced the awarding of a multimillion tender to a company which he subsequently benefited indirectly.

Conflict of interest is a situation in which a person is in a position to derive personal benefit from actions or decisions made in his/her official capacity, it is described as corruption in terms of the Prevention of Corruption Act.

Lubombo Catering Services was allegedly awarded a tender by the sugar company to manage the Simunye, Mhlume and Tshaneni Clubs, the tender is worth over R200million and meant to provide catering and entertainment services to the Royal Eswatini Sugar Corporation(RESC) workers.

But the Managing Director is alleged to have established JK Steakhouse and entered into business with Clifton Koen and Thea Koen,the Directors of Lubombo Catering Services, Jackson’s catering company JK Steakhouse, subsequently became an indirect supplier to the Royal Eswatini Sugar Corporation(RESC).

An investigation conducted by this Swaziland News further uncovered that, Nick Jackson allegedly benefited millions through awarding tenders to Lubombo Catering Services, his company JK Steakhouse would then ‘subcontract’ and provide catering services to the sugar company Lubombo Catering Services.

But to mitigate the conflict of interest suspicions or allegations, the Managing Director is alleged to have appointed his wife as a Director and 50% shareholder at JK Steakhouse.

Reached for comments on Saturday, Nick Jackson, the Royal Eswatini Sugar Corporation(RESC) Managing Director confirmed that, his wife “is a 50% shareholder” at JK Steakhouse, he said Lubombo Catering Services was awarded after an open public tender.

“My wife is a 50% shareholder in JK’s Steakhouse. The other shareholders are Thea and Clifton Koen. Thea Koen is a director of Lubombo Catering Services who currently manage Simunye, Mhlume and Tshaneni Clubs.There was a public tender for the management of the Simunye club recently.RES is taking back, under its own management, the Mhlume and Tshaneni Clubs.I don’t believe a decision has been made as yet on the chosen contractor to manage the Simunye Club”, said the Managing Director.

Efforts to seek a comment from the Directors of Lubombo Catering Services proved unsuccessful at the the time of compiling this report.

On another note, an investigation conducted by this Swaziland News uncovered that, after receiving payments from the Royal Eswatini Sugar Corporation(RESC),Lubombo Catering Services would then transfer part of the money to JK Steakhouse for the benefit of Managing Director Nick Jackson.