By Zweli Martin Dlamini

The R3.4million($200,000.00) donated by the African Union(AU) Commission and accepted by Acting Deputy Prime Minister(DPM) Sikhumbuzo Dlamini, must be monitored by Parliament to ensure that it reaches the beneficiaries, being the poor citizens.

I remember in 2022, we were busy with the Tinkhundla Minister(Acting DPM), building a house for a poor disabled couple at Nkwene Inkhundla, we got to know about the couple while conducting our journalism duties.

After winning elections, I hope Dlamini will remember the poor and continue on that route, we have about 70% of the population living in poverty in this country and, we cannot pretend as if everything is normal.

Indeed, Parliament has jurisdiction over this money donated by the AU on the grounds that, all donated monies from development partners deposited into the public coffers, must be accounted for and, Parliament remains one of the key accountability institutions.

Members of Parliament(MPs) communicate directly with the people in the various constituencies, Deputy Prime Minister(DPM) Thulisile Dladla must equally distribute this money to all the Tinkhundla Centres, these are monies donated to help emaSwati not to be looted by the corrupt, powerful and politically connected individuals.

Furthermore, this money is not meant to be presented to King Mswati or Queen Ntombi Tfwala as “tetfulo”, DPM Thuli Dladla must understand that because sometimes, she acts like a corrupt thief and loot public funds.

Themba Masuku, the then DPM had a tendency of supporting MPs who agree with him politically, by providing assistance to enable them to win elections again.

It is important to state that, this money is not about campaigning, all MPs must be allocated assistance whether it’s food or any relevant assistance under this funding to assist the people.

As the media, we don’t want Government to start blaming us that, we are writing in a manner that discourage international partners who support social projects in this country, donors follow eSwatini politics through the media and we have an obligation to report exactly what is happening.

Journalists are servants of the people, we all wish to see emaSwati living a better life and our reporting must always be in the best interest of the country and the people.

But, that does not mean, we will keep quiet and disregard our duties to demand accountability in the public administration, we are doing all this in the public interest.

The AU released funds to support emaSwati and this money must be allocated in accordance with the objective terms of reference for the funding.