POVERTY FUND: EX-TINKHUNDLA SENIOR OFFICER EXPOSED

  MBABANE – As more rot is exposed in the E20 million Community Poverty Reduction Fund (CPRF), it has emerged that a senior officer under the Ministry of Tinkhundla Administration and Development, who was supposed to facilitate the disbursement of the Fund, allegedly benefitted twice from it.

The officer is among those who took huge loans but never repaid the money or only paid a small amount. 

Revealed

This was revealed when Jabulile Dlamini, a former Principal Community Development Officer and one-time acting Hhohho Regional Secretary, appeared before the Public Accounts Committee (PAC).

Dlamini took a loan of E90 000 under Mayiwane Constituency, which increased to E113 000 after interest. During the same period, her husband also took a loan of E70 000, which accumulated to E75 306 after interest, through a company trading as Medizone Health Care Swaziland. 

According to the ministry’s documents, both loans have still not been settled and it transpired that not even a single payment was made towards the debt by the husband, while it was revealed that the direct loan by Dlamini was only serviced with two instalments before she stopped making payments.

Dlamini provoked members of the PAC when she denied knowledge of her husband’s debt and only offered to pay E2 000 for the loan she took under Mayiwane Constituency. She also did not disclose the fact that she had been employed by the ministry and was part of those involved in the operations of the fund.

It was only after the intervention of Manzini Region Planner, Zweli Mbingo, who revealed that the company which took the loan belonged to her husband that Dlamini acknowledged the debt. Even then, she claimed that she only knew that her husband was a director in the company, but she did not know that it had taken a loan from the CPRF. She said her husband had died and the Ministry of Tinkhundla would have to investigate and find out who his co-directors were.

PAC Chairperson Phila Buthelezi was unimpressed with her excuses.

“Stop playing games with us Make Dlamini. You knew the company and you knew about the debt. You were the one behind the whole thing and you probably informed your husband about the fund, which enabled you to benefit twice under different constituencies. I’m really disappointed in you because, as an elderly person, I was expecting that you would conduct yourself with integrity but here you are trying to fool us,” said Buthelezi.

He was supported by Ngudzeni MP Big Boy Mamba who said in all probability, there were no co-directors in the company but just names of individuals which were used to swindle government. Manzini Region MP Busisiwe Mavimbela shared similar sentiments and said Dlamini was the mastermind behind the whole thing and should therefore take responsibility.

Benefit

Dlamini tried to defend herself and claimed that she did not benefit from the company, but Madlangempisi MP Sibusiso Nxumalo said Dlamini should just own up to the debt because had her late husband left millions in the business account, she would be the first in line to claim the money.

Dlamini pleaded poverty and said she was unemployed. She offered to pay back E2 000 each month, E1 000 towards each debt. 

The PAC did not entertain the request and said a decision on repayment would be made after the alleged co-directors have been found. In the meantime, she will pay E2 000 a month for the Mayiwane debt.

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