NEW TWIST IN VUMA REPUTATION MANAGEMENT CONTROVERSY

MBABANE – The controversy surrounding Eswatini’s public relations company, Vuma Reputation Management, has taken a new twist.

Yesterday, social media was abuzz following a statement believed to have been issued by its under-fire founder Janine Hills, to the effect that she had taken a decision to abandon her 49 per cent shareholding in the company. This follows a post on her Twitter account @janinehills which states that the founder of Vuma Reputation Management was renouncing her stake in the company and all monies owed to her. This comes after Vuma Reputation Management came under-fire from some of the South African media and social media for supporting the Eswatini Government and allegedly telling a different narrative with regard to two South African journalists who were allegedly detained by the Eswatini police.

Hired

Vuma Reputation Management was hired by government through a process that was overseen by the former and late Prime Minister, Ambrose Mandvulo Dlamini, to market Eswatini. The three-year contract was entered into by government and the Johannesburg-based company in 2019 and the government then, through the late PM, Minister of Commerce, Industry and Trade Manqoba Khumalo and Minister of Finance Neal Rijkenberg had stated that they wanted to position the country as a stable, peaceful investment destination. Government Spokesperson Sabelo Dlamini confirmed late last night that a correspondent has been received to the effect that Vuma has stated the process to terminate the contract. “As per any contract, provisions are available for either side to terminate,” said Dlamini.

The company, which Hills resigned from in 2020, has been under attack for its association with the Eswatini Government, an administration that is being accused of failing to respect the constitutional rights of its citizens, something which has led to the current social and political unrest. The Johannesburg-based company is under the leadership of Palesa Madumo and Tshepo Sefotlhelo.  “I am renouncing my 49 per cent stake in Vuma  and all monies owed with immediate effect,” reads the post on Hills’s Twitter page. She further stated that she had always stood for honesty, integrity, unity and equality for all. Meanwhile, social media, in particular Twitter, had been calling on both Madumo and Sefotlhelo to respond to the many tweets which they have been tagged in.

Welcomed

In one of the responses to Hills’s tweet, some welcomed her decision to relinquish her shares, but stated that honesty and integrity required that she furnished the people of Eswatini with the details regarding Vuma’s contract with the government.

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