Jane Mkhonta-Simelane,the Minister of Tourism and Environmental Affairs was allegedly sleeping while Prime Minister Russell Mmiso Dlamini was delivering the Government Performance Report at the Cabinet Offices on Friday.
Worth-noting, the issues raised in that report were very critical,I am one of those who followed the PM’s speech to the end,there’s no way a competent Cabinet Minister could fall asleep while a Head of Government is addressing the Nation on such important issues and this means, Jane Mkhonta-Simelane had no interest in the report.
The performance of any Government or a company is covered in such reports and through this report and as the media, we will monitor the affairs and the performance of the current Government.
Personally,I was impressed with some of the issues covered in the report and this, include salary increment for all civil servants including junior police and Correctional Services officers which the PM said, will be addressed next year after the Consultant concluded its ongoing salary review process.
The PM further touched on issues of health, education,tourism, corruption among others, Minister Jane Mkhonta-Simelane was in the dreamland and snoring while the Prime Minister was addresing the Nation.
One senior official within the Ministry of Tourism once told me that, Minister Jane Mkhonta-Simelane is hardly at work and sometimes she would report for duty smelling alcohol, I wouldn’t be surprised to learn that, the Minister opted to attend such an important event drunk.
Worth-noting, there are many issues under her portfolio that need to be addressed and this, include the battle between 8bet and eBet that resulted to the latter being frustrated when applying for a gaming license.
Our country has a huge potential in the tourism industry and we can have more than ten(10) gaming companies as long as the Ministry of Tourism promotes the country well, those companies and by extension, the economy will strive.
But here is a Minister who opted to sleep while her boss being the Prime Minister, was addressing the Nation on very important matters, Jane Mkhonta-Simelane is reducing our country and the economy to a glass of alcohol.
But other factors could have influenced the Minister to sleep on duty, it’s either she was drunk, bored or she doesn’t take the Prime Minister seriously.
But in any working environment, even if you have issues with your boss, you must demonstrate unity in public to protect the image of the Government institution that you were appointed or elected to work for.
Indeed, there are many Cabinet Ministers who have issues with the PM but in public,they always demonstrate unity and smile with him because, you don’t need to be ‘lovers’ to work for a Government, you might disagree but work together.
What Tourism Minister Jane Mkhonta-Simelane did undermined the authority of the Prime Minister and the Government, she must be held accountable because there’s no way a Minister could sleep for almost the entire duration of the event, that was a clear demonstration that, she doesn’t care and all that was ringing in her head was alcohol.
Tourism Minister Jane Mkhonta-Simelane.