Times Of Swaziland: PUDEMO DENIES KIRSH FUNDING CLAIMS

PUDEMO DENIES KIRSH FUNDING CLAIMS
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Nhlanganiso Mkhonta on 27/04/2023 08:46:00


MBABANE – The People’s United Democratic Movement (PUDEMO) has denied being
funded by billionaire businessman Nathan Kirsh, during their recently concluded
10th General Congress.
In an statement issued yesterday afternoon, PUDEMO Secretary General (SG) Penuel
Malinga said the party was baffled by the article headlined, ‘BATTLE OF THE
CAPITALISTS: Is Billionaire Nathan Kirsh Plotting To Fund Regime Change In
Eswatini Amid Fallout With Mswati?’. The article was published by online
publication, The Swaziland News, over the weekend. The authenticity of the
statement was confirmed to this publication by PUDEMO Deputy President Wandile
Dludlu, who said it was indeed an official statement of the organisation.
Malinga noted that the article in question had serious and weighty allegations,
to the effect that the said billionaire, Kirsh, allegedly funded candidates in
the recently concluded PUDEMO 10th General Congress.
repudiate
“The Office of the Secretary General, on behalf of the National Executive
Committee (NEC), takes this time and opportunity to outrightly repudiate and
reject the contents of the article and set the record straight that the
allegations contained in the article are, to a larger extent, false, unfounded
and malicious,” reads the statement in part. The SG said PUDEMO and its
national leadership disassociated itself from everything that had been reported
and written by the online media publication, as the party had no knowledge of
any sponsorship from Kirsh to any of its members towards the PUDEMO elective
congress that was recently concluded. Malinga said the insinuations of the
article attempted to cast aspersions on the organisation, PUDEMO, its leadership
(elected and unelected) and its entire membership. The party also stated that at
no point did the SG (Malinga) of the movement utter any of the contents
attributed to him in the article as published by the online news publication.
Malinga was quoted by Swaziland News having confirmed knowledge of the matter
but declined to release an official comment before investigating it further.
aware
He was quoted to have allegedly said; “I am aware of the matter suggesting
that there might be an alleged involvement of Kirsh, but the problem is that
this matter is still being discussed in hushed tones within the executive of
PUDEMO. Give me some time to investigate it further then I will release an
official comment.” However, in the statement issued yesterday, Malinga said
when the editor of the online publication, Zweli Martin Dlamini, contacted them,
it was put to him that the organisation knew nothing about such a story he was
pursuing.
Malinga said as such, due to the threatening nature and the seriousness of the
matter, PUDEMO had taken the matter up with the publication concerned through
its editor and expected nothing short of a retraction and an apology to the
movement and all concerned.
He said it was their full understanding as the National Executive Committee
(NEC) that the article had the effect of tarnishing their image as a movement
and also threatened the people’s confidence in PUDEMO. “It is also our
belief and understanding that, above all, the said article largely damages and
erodes the unity within our movement,” reads the statement in part.
The SG said as PUDEMO, they explicitly and overtly have full confidence in the
uprightness of all its members who availed themselves for leadership positions
in the 10th General Congress.
pursued
“It is for this reason that the matter in question will be pursued until its
end,” added the SG. Meanwhile, Kirsh’s representative in Eswatini George Lys
also vehemently denied the allegations carried by the online publication,
Swaziland News. Lys said none of the allegations had basis or whatsoever in
fact. He said, in Eswatini, Kirsh and his family were dedicated solely to
philanthropic activities focused exclusively on the welfare of Eswatini and her
people through the work of KFE, including its flagship Inhlanyelo Fund, which
had created over 27 000 businesses since 1999. Lys stated that during the
COVID-19 pandemic, Kirsh donated E320 million towards food relief, PPE supplies,
oxygen production plant, ventilators and other life-saving interventions. He
concluded by stating that Kirsh and his family only wished for peace and
stability in the kingdom and for all differences to be settled through dialogue,
in adherence to the principle that had guided emaSwati through their proud
history.