By Zweli Martin Dlamini

MBABANE:Naniki Mnisi, the Under Secretary(US) in the Ministry of Education and Minister Owen Nxumalo have been implicated in over R20million ‘suspicious’ transactions, the public funds were re-allocated, subsequently laundered and/or looted through Government suppliers.

An independent investigation conducted by this Swaziland News uncovered State documents suggesting that, on or around 12th February 2025 and at the time when Government Ministries were busy preparing for the recent Buganu Ceremony that took place at Buhleni Royal Residence, the Education and Training Minister and his Under Secretary re-allocated R10.8million from 2001/067 budget allocation reference number, to 2001/069 without following Government procedure under the Public Finance Management Act Section 14(1) to (4).

But the following day, the 13th February 2025, the Under Secretary in the Ministry of Education allegedly transferred R2million from 2001/011 to 2001/071 and, on the very same day, Mnisi transferred an extra two hundred and fifty thousand Rands(R250,000.00) public funds from 2001/021 to 2001/071.

Worth-nothing, emails obtained by this investigative journalist suggest that, before the aforementioned highly suspicious transactions, on the 12th October 2024, Under Secretary Naniki Mnisi allegedly colluded with other senior Government officials within the Education and Training Ministry to launder R5million public funds.

Subsequently and, on the 31st January 2025, an extra R6million taxpayers money was reallocated from 2001/011 to 2001/071, the money was positioned for alleged laundering and/or looting.

This means within four(4) months, over R20million was reallocated and subsequently looted by Under Secretary Naniki Mnisi and her syndicate within the Ministry of Finance-Treasury Department and other Government Departments, the syndicate include Government suppliers that are subject of a high level investigation by this publication.

But a separate investigation conducted by this Swaziland News further uncovered that, the public funds were re-allocated to tenders where Government suppliers allegedly linked to Mnisi and Minister Owen Nxumalo will benefit and subsequently share the millions with the Under Secretary, Owen Nxumalo and other senior Government officials.

Subsequent to the suspicious transactions, documentary evidence in our possession further suggests that, on the 19th February 2025, Beatrice Mdluli, the Financial Controller in the Ministry of Education and Training wrote a minute to Bhekithemba Gama, the Principal Secretary(PS) reporting the alleged corruption.

The State documents and the sequence of events and contained in the documentary evidence, discloses that, while PS Bhekithemba Gama was on sick leave, Naniki Mnisi was allegedly colluding with Education Minister Owen Nxumalo to vigorously engage in corruption through the re-allocation of the public funds.

Both Mnisi and the Education and Training Minister have been attempting to prevent PS Gama from bouncing back to work saying,he must retire on medical grounds.

“I am writing to express my serious concerns regarding the recent and increasing frequent re-allocation and commitment of funds within the Ministry’s budget without my knowledge which appear to be in contravention of the provisions of the Public Finance Management Act Part 2 Section 14(1) to (4). As the Financial Controller for the Ministry of Education and Training, I am responsible for ensuring the proper and lawful management of public funds allocated to the Ministry.I have observed a pattern of huge amounts reallocations and committed without my knowledge,” reads the minute in part, directed to the PS.

The minute and other critical State documents was then secretly shared to investigators of the Anti Corruption Commission(ACC), the Auditor General(AG) and in the process, ‘intercepted’ by this investigative journalist.

Both Education Minister and Under Secretary Naniki Mnisi declined to comment when questioned by this publication regarding the alleged corruption.

Reached for comemnts by this Swaziland News on Friday morning, lawyer Sibusiso Nhlabatsi urged the Anti Corruption Commission(ACC) to investigate the suspicious transactions while expressing disappointment to learn about the alleged looting within the Ministry of Education and Training, at the time when schools “are struggling” without resources.

“This is a criminal issue that warrants an investigation by the Anti Corruption Commission, let’s see the ACC taking-up this issue and vigorously fighting  corruption at least once, since its establishment.But it’s disappointing because schools are struggling without resources only for public funds to be looted within the Ministry of Education,” said the lawyer.

Corruption under a culture of impunity is rife in eSwatini, taxpayers monies that should be used in providing social services to emaSwati are allegedly looted by politicians and senior Government officials who collude with other powerful individuals.

The country has been relying on foreign donors to fund social services amid rampant corruption and money laundering but, part of the foreign aid was recently withdrawn by newly inaugurated United States(US) President Donald Trump.

On another note,the Anti Corruption Commission has been struggling to arrest suspects as eSwatini is an absolute Monarchy with no rule of law, powerful individuals with proximity to King Mswati and/or the  institution of the Monarchy, are not subjected to accountability or criminal prosecution.