THERE IS STILL NO HURRY IN ESWATINI

Sir,

Years ago someone coined the slogan: ‘There is no hurry in Swaziland’ and apparently there is still no hurry in Eswatini.

The wheels of justice seem to be grinding painfully slow in the face of the staggering loss of over E100 million invested by emaSwati in the Status Capital Building Society. It is deeply concerning that despite the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) obtaining 11 warrants of arrest related to this case, the investigation has been ongoing for months with no visible progress.

Fact

The fact that two of the persons of interest are based locally, while the rest are believed to be in neighbouring South Africa, should not impede the urgency with which this matter is addressed. The troubling link between the Status Capital saga and the Ecsponent debacle, where over 1 000 emaSwati lost E340 million, only serves to amplify the scale of the crisis facing our citizens. The Parliament Select Committee’s report highlighted the urgent need for an investigation into Status Capital to establish any connections with the Ecsponent fiasco, yet it appears that little has been done to expedite this process.

Confirm

The Royal Eswatini Police Service’s (REPS) reluctance to confirm or deny the existence of warrants of arrest against individuals allegedly associated with the missing E335 million Ecsponent investments is equally disconcerting. This lack of transparency and accountability only serves to erode the public’s trust in the system. The management of Status Capital’s admission that the alleged misappropriation of the around E100 million has led to substantial delays in the disbursement of monthly interest payments to investment account holders is a devastating blow to the livelihoods of the affected emaSwati, many of whom are pensioners relying on these funds to survive. It is unacceptable that the wheels of justice continue to turn at a glacial pace, while the hard-earned savings of our people are being siphoned away with impunity.

Act

The ACC and REPS must act swiftly and decisively to bring the perpetrators to justice and ensure that the stolen funds are recovered and returned to their rightful owners. The people of Eswatini deserve better. They have been let down by those entrusted with safeguarding their financial well-being, and the lack of urgency in addressing these issues is a betrayal of their trust. It is time for the authorities to demonstrate a genuine commitment to fighting corruption and protecting the interests of the emaSwati, before more lives are irreparably damaged by these egregious acts of financial malfeasance.

Concerned citizen

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