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MAJOR SHAKE-UP IN ARMY

20/05/2017 10:37:00 BY SIBUSISO ZWANE

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Aspiring soldiers during the recruitment exercise in this file picture. However, this is not to suggest that those pictured are mentioned in the story. (Inset) Army Commander, Sobantu Dlamini.

MANZINI – The Umbutfo Swaziland Defence Force (USDF) is shaken up by transfers of senior officials amid the ongoing investigations of the anomalies that took place during the recent recruitment process.

A well placed source within the army said a number of senior officers who were part of the army recruitment exercise, especially the leaders of instructors and their immediate insubordinates, had been transferred from their workstations and their positions were taken by officers from other camps, mainly Nokwane Army Headquarters.

He was quick to explain that this was, however, not to suggest that they were implicated or found guilty, but it was part of the process to enable investigations to continue smoothly.
The insider made an example that Colonel Derrick Nkambule, who was based at Nokwane Army Headquarters, had been transferred to Ngwavuma Army Barracks to strengthen the leadership as some senior officers from the camp were transferred.

According to our insider, the transfers were part of the actions which were taken by the army following reports of irregularities said to have happened during the recruitment exercise.
He said the anomalies were discovered following the complaints that were filed by constituencies, which felt that the exercise did not go well at their communities and the army appointed a team to investigate the complaints.
Currently, investigations have seen about 40 army recruits being expelled from the military infantry school based at Mbuluzi Army Barracks. This resulted in over 100 more finding their way into the army. It was gathered that during the investigations, some of the expelled recruits confessed that they paid amounts ranging between E40 000 and E55 000 in order to be recruited to the military.

The insider revealed that the authorities of the army first engaged the affected officers in serious talks about the investigations before the decision to transfer them was reached.
It was revealed that the investigations were incomplete and that there were a lot of uncertainties within the army as it was clear that more transfers and other tougher decisions were coming.
The transfers are said to have not gone down well as some officials were left aggrieved while others took it as a routine internal exercise that normally took place from time to time in the military.

This publication has it in authority that the transferred USDF officers hold ranks which include; Lieutenant, Captain, Lieutenant Colonel and Colonel .
Some of the high positions, which were held by the affected soldiers in the various army barracks where they were stationed were Commanding Officers and 2nd In Charge among others.
One of the affected officers confirmed that the transfers left some of them aggrieved as it was triggered by allegations around anomalies of the recruitment process. “However, we have taken it as a normal routine transfer as it usually happens internally,” the officer said.

Meanwhile, another transferred army official said even though there were questions asked about the recruitment exercise, he believed that it was a normal routine exercise.
On the other hand, USDF acting Public Relations Officer (PRO) Lieutenant Nkosinathi Dlamini said there were officers who were transferred. However, he was reluctant to specify the reason for the transfers. He said they usually have transfers internally and it usually depends on the skills and expertise required by another army barrack.

He said sometimes a transfer could be driven by the fact that there was a vacant post in the army. “Again, it can because of tour duty, where we want officers to be in context of what was happening in the army, then there could be transfers,” the acting PRO said.

It is worth noting that recently, over the past weekend, some recruits resigned from the USDF training after the Army Commander, Sobantu Dlamini, made a statement that the military doors were open to allow those who felt that they were not coping to leave.

A total of three full-bodied female recruits immediately excused themselves. This left some of the recruits wondering about their positions because they believed that if they had passed the physical tests during the recruitment exercise, they would cope with the training just like the many others who were still training.
Again, in the same week, an aspiring soldier, who is a chief, left the army training base in Mbuluzi Army Barracks fuming after he was allegedly slapped by an instructor, who was correcting his wrongdoing.

While leaving the assembly square, the chief said; “Angeke ngikhone kushaywa ngulenye indvodza ngingabuyiseli” (he cannot afford to be slapped by another man and not retaliate).
Furthermore, in a previous interview, the acting USDF PRO said some recruits were resigning from the army infantry school because they suffered from diseases which could result in death if they continued with the training.