MBABANE:A faction within the People’s United Democratic Movement(PUDEMO) loyal to veteran leader Mandla Hlatjwako is alleged to be causing instability within the Swaziland Massacre, Victims and Survivors Association(SWAVISWA) with an alleged intention to capture the organization for financial benefit.
This comes after SWAVISA received huge international support from donors who wanted to assist the organization in taking care of the recent political unrest victims and survivors.
Reached for comments by this Swaziland News on Friday afternoon, Madzabudzabu Kunene, the SWAVISWA Chairman accused Mandla Hlatjwako of working towards stabilizing the organization after his demand for eleven percent(11%) of donor funding was rejected.
“We once engaged Mandla Hlatjwako to assist us in managing our donor funds but he demanded 11% of the funding hence we decided to terminate engagements with him in this regard. Another thing, Mandla Hlatjwako is part of Swazi Lives Matter, an organization that supports participation in Tinkhundla undemocratic elections and Magawugawu’s activities. We have a position in this organization that we don’t support Tinkhundla because it’s the regime that persecuted us. So when Mandla Haltjwako suggested that, we must join Swazi Lives Matter, we refused because that organization and its partners, supports Tinkhundla elections,” said the SWAVISA Chairman.
Kunene further added that, SWAVISA will remain affiliated to the MultiStakeholder Forum(MSF) not Swazi Lives Matter maintaining that, “the organization is independent but with a decisive position not to associate itself with Tinkhundla elections”.
It has been disclosed that, the Mandla Hlatjwako’s faction within PUDEMO that wanted SWAVISWA to be affiliated to Swazi Lives Matter, an organization dominated by PUDEMO members loyal to Swaziland Liberation Movement(SWALIMO) President Mduduzi Magawugawu Simelane, subsequently used ‘dirty tactics’ accusing the leadership of SWAVISA of misappropriating donor funds.
Magawugawu is known to be allegedly owning a group of ‘wayward members’ on social media who insult others who disagree with his political ideology and went as far as fabricating information and, it remains unclear if the plot against SWAVISA has reached that slanderous stage.
But Mandla Hlatjwako is alleged to have lobbied some SWAVISA members to petition the organization, accusing Chairman Madzabudzabu Kunene of misappropriating donor funds.
PUDEMO has been battling with serious divisions since it’s Elective Congress as Mandla Hlatjwako who lost to President Mlungisi Makhanya has been allegedly and vigorously, working towards stabilizing the political organization and a result, “the Mandla Hlatjwako faction is dominated by leaders who wants to participate in Tinkhundla undemocratic elections much against the political party’s position”.
Efforts to reach SWALIMO President Mduduzi Magawugawu Simelane proved unsuccessful at the time of compiling this report.
But PUDEMO senior member Mandla Hlatjwako whose faction within the political organization is allegedly working towards aligning itself with Magawugawu and supporting Tinkhundla elections, denied the these allegations.He demanded that specific actions of the things “he is accused of doing to destabilize SWAVISWA be provided so that he can respond”.
A audio recording of the interview with SWAVISA Chairman Madzabudzabu Kunene was then forwarded to Hlatjwako as per his request and he responded saying;
“Thanks Martin.The audio is helpful I have not been involved in the internal affairs of SWAVISA. It would help your investigation to identify the specific members of SWAVISA who were involved in the protest and establish the truth of the allegations.I am not a member of Swazi lives matter but In principle I support their campaigns.The donors of SWAVISA did approach an organisation to which I am affiliated with a request to manage the SWAVISA funds at a small fee. We held discussions and there was a mutual agreement that their proposed fee of 3% for managing the funds was unworkable. We could not fund, the administration, reports and audits for a fee lower than 11%. My understanding was that the separation was mutually accepted by both parties,”said the PUDEMO veteran leader.
Hlatjwako further added that, despite the disagreement over the management fee of the donor funds, he continued to offer support to SWAVISA in their programs.
“We therefore did not produce any program for them.Whilst I fully support the campaigns by Swazi Lives Matter, it is incorrect to suggest that it is my initiative or that I have developed their strategy. I am sure the organisation listed in the campaigns would be helpful in your investigation.I have not yet had an opportunity to attend any of their planning meetings but I fully support them in principle, particularly the campaigns and the broad participation. Do contact Qawekazi and check the veracity of the allegations. I have no malice against SWAVISA or Madzabudzabu. If they have problems it would be more meaningful to directly deal with their problems and not use me as a scapegoat,” he said.
On another note, a source within one of the international organizations funding SWAVISA said, they were fully aware of the plot to destabilize SWAVISA adding that so far, they have no records of misappropriation of funds.
“To the best of our knowledge, there’s no mismanagement of funds so far at SWAVISA, we have been receiving preliminary financial reports,” said the source within the donors.
When asked about the factions within PUDEMO and with the other alleged to be working towards destabilizing SWAVISA, PUDEMO Spokesperson Brian Sangweni said, “the organization fully supports” the political unrest victims and survivors association.
“It’s be honest, we are not aware of a faction within PUDEMO that is destabilizing SWAVISA, we fully support the organization for victims and survivors of the political unrest,” said the PUDEMO Spokesperson.
SWAVISA is an organization that was founded to support victims and survivors of the political unrest and, is affiliated to the MultiStakeholder Forum(MSF), a coalition for pro-democracy groups in eSwatini.
SWAVISA Chairman Madzabudzabu Kunene.