HAVE WE EMBRACED CORRUPTION?

Exactly a year ago, the nation was engrossed in discussions around allegations that some of the senators elected after the 2023 general elections had paid bribes to secure seats.

The accused senators were the 10 men and women elected by newly sworn-in Members of Parliament (MPs), as provided for in the national Constitution. Though the names of the 10 senators were known, it was never succinctly mentioned who exactly among the five men and five women had used corrupt means to get elected into the upper chamber of Parliament.
However, they were all caught in the crossfire when those with whom they were competing for seats alleged that votes had been sold and bought for cash.  Large sums of money, as high as E1 million, were mentioned. Those who made the allegations were obviously those who had lost out.

Claims

They felt that they lost the race because they did not have enough money to pay members of the House of Assembly to vote for them. Like all bribery claims, these allegations were two-pronged: They accused both the voters and those voted for, of corruption. It was imperative that proper investigations be conducted and those found guilty, if at all, censured. That would have ensured that those who were caught in the crossfire, but were actually innocent, were cleared. Various agencies promised to investigate these allegations but sitting here, I cannot say I recall what the final outcome was. This does not augur well for the nation’s purported fight against corruption.

Apparently having noted the allegations, His Majesty the King, as advised by Prime Minister Russell Dlamini, did not include any of the 10 elected senators in his list of Cabinet ministers.This was viewed by many as an indication that the head of State did not want to be seen to be encouraging corruption. I am raising this issue because it has practically been forgotten. We are all going about our normal lives, as if nothing ever happened. If investigations into these allegations are not taken to finality, all the 10 senators, including those who may be innocent, will forever be looked at with scepticism. That no final verdict was heard from any competent investigating agency throws everything up in the air, yet senators, as legislators, also have an important role to play in the fight against corruption.

Just like members of the Judiciary, legislators should maintain impeccable honour and integrity.’ Now and again, they are expected to pronounce themselves on various issues, including matters where certain individuals or entities are accused of corruption. Letting allegations of corruption slide just after a few weeks, without any final outcome from investigations, suggests that as a nation, we have embraced corruption and accept it as part of our social fabric. If revelations of the past couple of weeks are anything to go by, this is exactly what is happening in Eswatini. One example is the shocking revelation that a specialised fire truck valued at over E15 million was fully paid for, but never delivered by the South African supplier.
This matter actually raises a few red flags.

For one, the money was paid upfront, yet government generally pays for goods and services after they have been supplied.We all know how local companies that supply government regularly complain about delays in clearing their invoices. At times, the monies they are collectively owed run into millions of Emalangeni. Secondly, it is said that the full amount was deposited into the personal account of one of the directors of the company. He has now disappeared.These two anomalies are enough to make one wonder if no government officer pocketed a certain percentage of the spoils.

Moving on, from April 2004 to February 2005, former Minister Prince David claimed a total of E427 867 from government as Foreign Service allowance. However, he no longer qualified for this because he had been recalled from Denmark where he was the Eswatini ambassador. Back in 2011, the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) comprising completely different members from those currently in office, was discussing this matter. Thirteen years later, the same committee is still seized with it. Really?!

If there was a mistake in him claiming this amount, the former minister should have long made amends and put the matter to rest. That this has not yet happened raises a lot of questions.
If people of such high stature are allowed to get away with such conduct, the ordinary man and woman will lose confidence in structures like the PAC and others. These days, when a civil servant or other liSwati is arrested for corruption or fraud, social media commentators sympathise with the accused, saying they should be left alone because in Eswatini, while everybody is involved in crime, some face no consequences. This has been the view of many after the arrest of a female teacher for alleged involvement in an armed robbery where more than E1.1 million was taken at gunpoint in Manzini.

Arrests

The same sentiments were advanced in the matter of Nokulunga Zambane Simelane, the royal aide who has been convicted of stealing E1.3 million worth of jewellery from Nkoyoyo Palace. Let us not even mention how quick it was to arrest a widow for allegedly failing to pay E8 000 for kukhonta for her son. As seen in the Times Daily Newspaper dated November 21, 2024. So a widow is a  priority   to be arrested ? Back to the PAC, that is still uncovering various irregularities in the procurement of medical drugs for public hospitals. These issues are now being investigated by various structures, including the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), but each day brings with it new revelations of how the industry is marred by inefficiency and misconduct on the part of those in the procurement chain.

A sum of E5.8 million allocated by government for a dam project at Malanti was allegedly misappropriated. The money is gone, but the site where the dam should be only has a trench and excavated land.It would require five pages for me to list all the examples of corrupt behaviour among us as emaSwati. With at least 24 lawyers also facing misconduct charges for unethical practices, including theft of clients’ monies, it is clear that we still have a long way to go before we can say the fight against corruption has begun. So, if all governance structures and the private sector are tainted, who will fight corruption in Eswatini?

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