By Zweli Martin Dlamini

While conducting an investigation last week on Cabinet operations, I came to the conclusion that had it not been the intervention of Deputy Prime Minister(DPM) Thulisile Dladla, Prime Minister(PM) Russell Mmiso Dlamini would have long messed-up the entire Cabinet.

Frustrating an elected Cabinet Minister Mduduzi Matsebula who was tasked with addressing the health crisis and, ensure the availability of drugs suggests that, the PM is now eager to see emaSwati dying in public hospitals as long as he cashes money with his corrupt and powerful syndicate.

In politics or public administration, disagreements will always be there but, the conduct of the PM is no longer acceptable, bullying a Cabinet Minister in charge of the Department of Health in a effort to push a corrupt agenda amounts to killing emaSwati in the public hospitals.

The Minister of Health must receive all the necessary support from Government and stakeholders to resolve the health crisis, if the PM is identifying an opportunity to loot or steal public funds within the Ministry of Health while emaSwati die in public hospitals, then we must vigorously call for his removal.

Minister Mduduzi Matsebula has a right to say “NO” when bullied by the PM, this is an educated Minister with the ability to think, analyze issues and further consult his Principal Secretary(PS) and other Government officials when conducting his duties.

In fact, the Minister is also obligated to consult Cabinet when seeking approval on certain decisions, the PM is not Cabinet but part of Cabinet.

The Ministry of Health has Government officials well trained to address the crisis, all we need here is the establishment of accountability systems to monitor the drugs.

In this regard, the Minister of Health, including the entire Cabinet, accounts to Parliament and therefore, Minister Mduduzi Matsebula has a right to say “NO” when persuaded to take an alleged corrupt decision imposed by the Prime Minister that might result to him failing to account to Parliament.

As stated in my previous articles, the PM is constitutionally the Chairperson of Cabinet and therefore, he must subject himself to the principles of a collective responsibility of the entire Cabinet without bullying or imposing decisions to Ministers.

Furthermore, the PM has no authority to use international trips as a tool to frustrate Cabinet Ministers who doesn’t agree with him, these are taxpayers monies and the Health Minister is a public officer serving the Nation.

It is important to state that, if the international trip is relevant to Health Minister’s portfolio, he must take that trip and be paid reasonable allowances like all Ministers.

Russell must remember that Government is a State institution not his company, approving international trips for Cabinet Ministers or any public officer should not be interpreted as a favor by the PM but, its part of his duties.

In the event he rejects a trip, it must be based on valid reasons not as a way of frustrating another Cabinet Minister.

I was speaking to a Member of Parliament(MP) last night expressing concerns that,the Prime Minister is even approving trips for MPs and Senators, such powers must be upon Speaker Jabulani ‘Buy Cash’ Mabuza and Senate President Lindiwe Gwebu-Dlamini, acting on the recommendations or advice from the Clerk to Parliament.

The Clerk to Parliament is the Controlling Officer and he reports to the Speaker and the Senate President with the Parliamentary Services Board(PSB) being the highest authority but below the “King in Parliament”.

MPs must find a way to remove these powers from the Office of the Prime Minister, the PM has proven that he is not politically matured, he might even frustrate MPs who question him in Parliament by stopping them from taking international trips even if those trips are essential to the development of the country.

Now that the PM has stopped Health Minister Mduduzi Matsebula from taking international trips just because the Minister rejected his corrupt bullying seeking to loot public funds through the alleged corrupt procurement of drugs, it means this country will operate based on Russell’s emotions not public administration principles.

Parliament has all the powers to move a motion and stop the PM from approving international trips for MPs, as the Head of the Executive, he can continue approving same for Cabinet Ministers but, his actions or decisions must also be questioned by Parliament.