MBABANE:Thulisile Dladla,the Acting Prime Minister has allegedly stopped Education and Training Minister Owen Nxumalo and Under Secretary Naniki Mnisi amid an alleged attempt to ‘steal’ about R1million from a World Bank funded Childhood Development and Basic Education project.
An independent investigation conducted by this Swaziland News uncovered State documents suggesting that,the Under Secretary in the Ministry of Education wrote a minute directed to Prime Minister(PM) Russell Mmiso Dlamini.
The minute was requesting approval for an international trip to Kigali-Rwanda,to attend a meeting or workshop seeking to capacitate stakeholders in the implementation of the Early Childhood and Basic Education Systems Development project funded by the World Bank.
But, the Under Secretary and Minister Owen Nxumalo allegedly colluded to include nineteen(19) members of the delegation including those who are and/or might not be relevant to the project.
It is alleged that, the Education Minister and the Under Secretary’s intention was to then cash a share of the allowance monies as an alleged bribe from those who received favours from them and,included in the trip.
But close analysis of the State documents in possession of this publication suggests that, each member of the delegation was to cash over forty thousand Rands(R40,000.00) as an allowance for attending the one(1) week Rwanda-Kigali workshop or meeting.
“Your Excellency, the Ministry of Education and Training is planning to undertake a working visit on the implementation of Strengthening Early Childhood Development and Basic Education System to Support Human Capital Development in Eswatini. The exercise is expected to take place in Kigali,Rwanda from 17th to 23rd November 2024”, reads the minute in part directed to the Prime Minister.
But it transpired that, when the Under Secretary submitted the minute to the Prime Minister’s Office last week Friday(01 November 2024), Thulisile Dladla was the Acting Prime Minister as PM Russell Mmiso Dlamini was away, attending the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa(COMESA) Summit in Burundi.
The Acting Prime Minister subsequently dismissed the minute, she ordered the Under Secretary and the Education and Training Minister to reduce the delegation to only three(3) people.
“Reduce the delegation to 3 people”, the Acting Prime Minister wrote on the minute.
It has been disclosed that, after the Acting Prime Minister rejected the document and ordered the reduction of the delegation,Naniki Mnisi and Minister Owen Nxumalo allegedly plotted to submit the request again when Prime Minister Russell Mmiso Dlamini “is available in the Office” with the hope that,the PM will approve the trip.
“They are now plotting to convince the Prime Minister to approve the minute”,said an insider.
On another note, the actual amount requested by Under Secretary Naniki Mnisi and Minister Owen Nxumalo as reflected in the documents, “is eight hundred and forty-two thousand,seven hundred and sixty Rands(R842,760.00) for the nineteen(19) members of the delegation”.
But for only three(3) people as recommended by Acting Prime Minister Thulisile Dladla when dismissing the minute, the costs will be reduced to only one hundred and twenty thousand Rands(R120,000.00).
A questionnaire was sent to Naniki Mnisi, the Under Secretary in the Ministry of Education but, she declined to comment regarding this matter.
Efforts to reach Acting Prime Minister Thulisile Dladla proved unsuccessful at the time of compiling this report.
Reached for comments by this Swaziland News on Thursday evening, Wandile Dludlu, the Deputy President of the People’s United Democratic Movement(PUDEMO) said, in the absence of an opposition, it would always be easy for Government officials and others within the Tinkhundla system to steal public and donor funds”.
“As PUDEMO we can only say this looting is promoted by the absence of an opposition, Tinkhundla system does not have an opposition that will hold Government or the Executive accountable”, said the PUDEMO Deputy President.
Part of the minute dismissed by Acting Prime Minister Thulisile Dladla.