MBABANE:King Mswati has,over the years,failed to remit billions accumulated from the various Mines to benefit emaSwati thus violating the Mines and Minerals Act stipulating that,he holds 25% shares in trust for the Swazi Nation.
Eswatini has about 70% of the population living below the poverty line,the country is currently facing shortage of drugs in public hospitals and the crisis was triggered by corruption that resulted to government failing to pay suppliers.
Section 133(1) of the Mines and Minerals Act states that;
“The Ingwenyama in trust of the Swazi Nation shall acquire 25% shareholding without any monetary consideration in a large scale mining project for which a mining license is granted”.
But a proof of payment that was previously published by this publication substantiated that,the King once accepted over R100million from ‘Ngwenya Mine’ and the monies were never remitted for the development of the lives of emaSwati.
Reached for comments,Mayibongwe Masangwane, the Secretary General(SG) of the Swaziland Democratic Nurses Union(SWADNU) said,as health workers,they would welcome all efforts seeking to ensure the provisions of monies to address the health crisis, even the shareholding due to emaSwati and held by the King in Trust for the Swazi Nation.
“As health workers,we believe that even the monies accumulated from the minerals shareholding held by the King in Trust for the Swazi Nation shall assist in ensuring that we have adequate drugs in hospitals,”said the Secretary General of the Nurses Union.
But King’s Spokesperson Percy Simelane when asked to clarify when would the King release the monies held in trust for the Swazi Nation amid shortage of drugs in public hospitals said, the funds are administered by Tibiyo TakaNgwane and emaSwati “are benefiting through various projects” that include scholarships.
“It works just like Tibiyo monies from which Emaswati benefit through scholarships and national projects.We have no reasons to think the funds are in the King's personal account but that of a body that decides which project should be funded.Shortages of drugs in public hospitals is not necessarily caused by lack of a budget for them but because they are stolen before,during and after delivery just like hospital equipment. At one point a just purchased machine worth 5million Emalangeni was stolen at delivery at the Mbabane Government Hispital.Corruption to it is at play.An investigation on the rot is already on going”, said the King’s Spokesperson.
Responding to this publication on the subject matter,Sivumelwano Nyembe,the Spokesperson of the pro-democracy Multi-Stakeholder Forum(MSF)said,the issue of minerals should form part of the discussions in the event emaSwati succeed in forcing the King to participate in a dialogue.
“The issue of minerals monies held by the King in Trust for the Swazi Nation should actually form part of the agenda during the proposed political dialogue,” said the MSF Spokesperson.
But apart from the health crisis and or shortage of drugs in public hospitals,eSwatini is facing an education crisis amid shortage of working equipment in schools and government's failure to fund the University of Eswatini(UNESWA) and release scholarships for students.
King Mswati.