TEACHERS QUESTION E1.1M CO-OP ALLOWANCES

KWALUSENI – There was a brief uproar yesterday at a meeting for teachers to discuss the 2019/2020 budget, emanating from concerns over a sum of E1 million set aside to pay for the Board’s allowances.

Having started on the right footing, with positive budget outlooks that depicted a projected E40 million surplus to be realised at the end of the next financial year, the meeting turned to brouhaha when one teacher, in a high pitched voice, began to question financials.

His name is Lot Vilakati from the Siteki branch of the Swaziland National Association of Teachers (SNAT) Savings and Credit Co-operative.
This was during the society’s budget meeting held at the University of Eswatini’s Emporium Hall. 

Vilakati caused the meeting to react angrily and suspiciously to the executive committee as the enthusiastic teachers whistled in support of his submission while jeering their leaders with taunts.
Just after Thenjiwe Ngcamphalala, the Treasurer of the SNAT Savings and Credit Society had delivered what appeared to be the positive budget, Vilakati was given the microphone to address the meeting.

He cleared his throat, and shouted political slogans such as ‘VIVA’ before taking a swipe at the society’s deputy chairperson for perceivably intimidating him by threatening to cut short his submission.
He then criticised the executive committee for the travel and sitting allowances budget which stood at E728 000 and E381 600 respectively, totalling to E1 109 600 (E1.1 million).

He said his calculations reflected E120 000 being paid to each of the members of the executive, alleging that more money appeared to be going to the leaders as opposed to the members.
Based on the personal financial income, he alleged that the executive committee members would afford to buy houses at Dalriach in Mbabane. This submission received applause from the crowd.
However, an explanation by the committee on how the money would be used received an almost equal round of applause.

Nozipho Dlamini, the Chairperson of the society, said most of the committee members lived in the most far-flung corners of the country, and had to travel quite often to Manzini where the offices of the society were housed to decide on loan applications submitted by the members.
She explained that they used their own vehicles, and just spent the allowance on fuel. She said they would sometimes drive in the night and hit stray animals.

Dlamini urged members to be objective and unwarranted criticism might discourage the Board members from attending the meeting.
The treasurer, Ngcamphalala, said it was not an accounting malpractice to separate the two items – travel and sitting allowances. She explained that auditors wanted to know the actual amount spent on each facility.
 
E40.8m surpluses

On another note, the treasurer reported a projected  surplus of E40.8 million against a total expenditure of E33.7 million for the 2019/2020 financial year.
She said the budgeted income for the next financial year stood at E74.6 million. The closing balance was E114.6 million against the opening balance of E82.1 million.
She reported that they had set aside E300 000 to pay for costs for the forensic audit to ascertain alleged fraudulent practice at SNAT Savings as it emerged last year that E1 million was withdrawn from the account under suspicious circumstances.

The treasurer said E880 000 would be spent on hosting seminars and workshops for the members, with E535 000 to be utilised to educationally empower members, and E200 000 will be used to implement a performance management system for the society.
It is projected that E38.5 million will be paid out to members. Despite this figure, she assured the surplus of E40.8 million would still be realised. She also disclosed that E260 726.34 would be spent on payment of gratuities to workers engaged by the society on contract.

The society would also spend E266 886 on legal fees and E150 000 has been set aside to pay for pending cases, with E510 000 to be spent on marketing and advertising.
Presenting her budget speech, the treasurer said E82 178.42 would cater for office fees, newspapers and other office related expenses. 

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