By Zweli Martin Dlamini

MBABANE:King Mswati’s international trip with his new wife Inkhosikati Nomcebo Zuma, the daughter to former South African President Jacob Zuma,will cost taxpayers over R200million public funds.

The costs,according to information obtained by this publication,include allowances for the delegation,flying costs for the private jet and what “is described as a pocket money for the King and his new wife”.

King Mswati left the country on Sunday, he “is highly expected to attend the World Food Forum in Italy,proceed to Serbia for a State visit before attending the 2024 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Samoa. 

But Mswati’s Spokesperson Percy Simelane told this Swaziland News earlier that,his Office “does not handle finances or allowances for the King and his delegation, he referred comments to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs”.

Efforts to reach Foreign Minister Pholile Dlamini-Shakantu who is also part of the King’s delegation,proved unsuccessful at the time of compiling this report.

On another note, members of the delegation who will benefit from the King’s extravagant international trip through allowances include Prince Lindani, Prince Bandzile,Prince Mcwasho, Indvuna Themba Ginindza, Agriculture Minister Mandla Tshauke,Foreign Minister Pholile Shakantu and members of the King’s security personnel among others.

It is alleged that, Inkhosikati LaZuma included her friends and relatives from the Zulu Nation in the delegation, the Zulus will also benefit from the eSwatini public funds.

But the Zulus, according to royal insiders, were allegedly included so that,the new King’s wife cannot feel lonely throughout the trip.

Worth-noting, the extravagant King’s international trip comes at the time when eSwatini is facing shortage of drugs in public hospitals, hundreds have died since the crisis erupted.

The country is also facing an education crisis,schools are facing shortage of teachers and working equipment, while University students “commit suicide amid Government failure to pay allowances”.

But apart from that,Government is struggling to pay suppliers within the Small and Medium Enterprise(SME) sector and this,resulted to the closure of various indigenous companies triggering job losses in a country where about 70% of the population lives below the poverty line.

The country continues to face escalating levels of poverty and/or inequality amid Government failure to increase salaries for civil servants including nurses,teachers, police, fire officers, soldiers and Correctional Services officers.

Employees of the Eswatini Revenue Service(ERS) are also facing shortage of working equipment with no significant salary increase after Government reduced a budget for one of the most critical institutions that collects tax to fund State operations.

As reported by this publication last week, close to ten(10) senior Managers of the revenue institution resigned en-massely, as the working environment increasingly becomes more hostile”.

But amid the serious challenges facing the country, each member of the King’s delegation might pocket close to five hundred thousand Rands(R500,000.00) as an allowance.