By Zweli Martin Dlamini

MBABANE:Ram Prasad,the Indian High Commissioner to the Kingdom of eSwatini has been, together with his Second Secretary, implicated in an alleged scholarship fraud and corruption in that, his Office withdrew an Andhra University scholarship awarded to Celiwe Grace Matsentjwa in favour of a royal family member.

Corruption is escalating in eSwatini and ordinary citizens remain the most affected as those who are connected to the rich and powerful are considered for opportunities including University scholarships.

An independent investigation conducted by this Swaziland News uncovered that,the scholarship which Matsetjwa qualified for based on her academic documents, was withdrawn on the last hour, she was then allegedly told by Sriram SS, the Second Secretary to the High Commissioner that, the scholarship award was a mistake.

“It’s true, I was awarded a scholarship to study B.Tech Mechanical Engineering and I was even visiting the Embassy submitting all the necessary documents as per the requirements. But just when I was about to fly to India, the Second Secretary to the High Commissioner informed me while I was in the Embassy that, I was awarded the scholarship by mistake. As we speak, I’m frustrated because I resigned from work as I was about to fly to India to study at the Andhra University. I am now grounded”,she said.

Documents seen by this publication suggest that,Matsentjwa received an acceptance letter from Prof. E.N DhanamjayaRao, the Dean of International Affairs at the Andhra University and as per the procedure, the Embassy was to then facilitate the documentation for the accepted student to fly to India.

“The following student is selected provisionally for admission into B. Tech Mechanical Engineering(Full-Time) in the Department of Mechanical Engineering, College of Engineering, Andhra University, under foreign student’s category for the academic year 2024-25”, reads part of the documents.

Responding to this Swaziland News on Thursday morning, Sriram SS, the Second Secretary to the High Commissioner said, Matsentjwa was not selected in the final list and this, “is despite the fact that,there’s a communication where the student was told to prepare travel documents including visas because she has been accepted” to study in India.

“She was not finally selected, her name was not in the final list. She has already been contacted by the Foreign Ministry and everything has been expelled to her”,said the Second Secretary of the High Commissioner.

But what made the matter to be more complicated and creates elements of fraud and corruption “is the fact that, the documents suggest that”, Celiwe Grace Matsentjwa was accepted but, the rejection or endless explanation by the Embassy on why she did not fly to India, was then being communicated verbally.

Another Liswati who studied in India after going through the same process told this publication that, it cannot happen that two(2) different institutions could make a mistake by awarding a scholarship and then withdrew it.

“What normally happens is; you first receive the acceptance letter from the University and then another institution writes and inform you that, you have secured a scholarship based on the acceptance letter. In the matter you are asking me about, everything is clear and written down but, they decided to reject her verbally at the Embassy, there’s fraud and corruption here. It cannot happen that two(2) institutions can inform you that you have been accepted and even award you a scholarship and then, the Embassy refuses to write any letter informing you that, you have been rejected, every communication is now verbally”, said another Liswati who once studied in India.