Times Of Swaziland: MPS WANT PRIVILEGE TO CHOOSE 59 ARMY RECRUITS

MPS WANT PRIVILEGE TO CHOOSE 59 ARMY RECRUITS
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Sabelo Majola on 12/03/2024 15:52:00


LOBAMBA – Members of Parliament (MPs) want to be allowed to each forward one
name of an individual they wish to see being recruited into the army.
They also want to play a role in the recruitment process of soldiers. Maseyisini
MP Nokuthula Dlamini asked the Acting Minister of Defence, Pholile Shakantu, to
see to it that MPs were allowed to identify an individual from their
constituencies for recruitment. The same sentiments were shared by Sithobelweni
MP Nhlanhla Sihlongonyane and Mbabane East MP Welcome Dlamini. This, after
several MPs called for the recruitment of more soldiers to beef up the numbers,
so that they could execute their mandate with excellence.
Poverty
The basis for this, as submitted by the MPs, was that the recruitment of
soldiers contributed massively to the eradication of poverty as the recruits
were able to improve the state of livelihood in their homes. The legislators
revealed that they were better positioned to know the plight of each homestead
and they wanted to forward names of underprivileged individuals, who would in
turn help improve their families’ status once they were employed. “We are
only 59, which will be a very small number of the people that you would be
looking to recruit,” MP Sihlongonyane said. The issue of stock theft took
centre stage during the Ministry of Defence portfolio committee’s annual
performance report debate for the financial year 2023/24, propelling the MPs to
call for recruitment of more soldiers to ensure safety at the borderlines.
Thieves
Sigwe MP David ‘Cruiser’ Ngcamphalala was one of those who called for the
recruitment of more soldiers, revealing that he lost over 20 goats to thieves.
Ngwempisi MP Bhekibandla Vilakati also decried the issue of theft, emphasising
the need for the recruitment of more soldiers, as emaSwati were hurting about
the theft of the livestock, which were being smuggled into neighbouring
countries. In the current financial year, the Umbutfo Eswatini Defence Force
(UEDF) managed to control 104 cattle, with an estimated amount of E479 000, and
they were also able to control 257 goats, with an estimated value of E46 000,
according to the ministry’s annual performance report. The army was also able
to control eight timphala and five tinyala, with an estimated value of E17 000
and seven motor vehicles which were being smuggled and their total value was E3
937 500. “Being the case, the vehicles are serviced at CTA or private centres,
which compromises the security of the UEDF vehicles,” reads the report.