STOP INTERFERING IN E3BN DAM TENDER, MPS TOLD

MBABANE – Minister of Agriculture Jabulani Mabuza has called for Members of Parliament (MPS) to stop interfering in the E3 billion Mpakeni Dam tender process.

The multibillion Mpakeni Dam construction project is under the auspices of the Eswatini Water and Agricultural Development Enterprise (ESWADE) and the minister has requested legislators to allow the Category A public enterprise to complete the tender process for the project without any interference. A debate on the tender process for the project ensued during the Ministry of Agriculture Portfolio Committee annual performance report presentation, for the financial year 2022/2023 in Parliament yesterday.

Excited

Ndzingeni MP Lutfo Dlamini said the country could not be excited over casual and temporary jobs brought by the construction of the dam, but what was exciting to him was a sustainable business in the form of a joint venture that would empower local companies. His contention was that Parliament could not watch from the sidelines while ESWADE broke the country’s foreign tender policy, which according to the MP, entailed having a joint venture that involved a local company in a project of this nature. Dlamini said parliamentarians were made to feel guilty about stopping the tender process, which could have hired at least 1 300 people as revealed by the minister, yet ESWADE was wrong to pre-qualify the tender process without the approval of the House.

He said they should not have appropriated funding without having given the green light by Parliament as that was wrong and illegal. “What we discovered on the pre-qualification was that they had included only foreign companies. We are taking E3 billion and giving it to foreign companies on the excuse that we want emaSwati to be employed and we do not have any assurance on their job security. Is that what we really stand for as legislators?” he submitted. Dlamini highlighted that the minister had previously assured the MPs that there would be a joint venture in the project and he made it known that they wanted to see that joint venture happening or the loan for the tender would not be triggered until the assurance was adhered to.

Qualifying his debate, Dlamini said a joint venture meant that the E3 billion funding for the project would be banked in the country and in that way; it would go a long way in stimulating the economy. “It is on that basis that we are insisting that it should be a joint venture because if not, the money will be taken by the foreign company to its native country and it would only avail funding for salaries because even the machinery won’t be procured here. There must be a joint venture in this project,” he insisted. The legislator also highlighted that this loan would be paid by the future generation and it would not sit well with them to know that they were paying for funding that was taken to be invested in a foreign country.

“I want to take it that you will respect the foreign policy on tenders of this country and don’t get so greedy and disregard it. If the policy has changed, come to Parliament and let us know so that we also recommend companies that are capable of doing the project. If you are going to break the foreign policy, then you will not get the support of Parliament on this project,” he said. The MP stated that it had come to his attention that kuyadliswana, and he wondered if the people involved in that had not yet had enough.

Background

Dlamini highlighted that he was a member of the Cabinet team when ESWADE was formed and he needed no lecture about the government entity because he was rich in its background.
“I know how good ESWADE is and I know what its intentions were but we never created them to disregard procurement procedures. “We can’t take the excuse that there is no qualifying liSwati and give so much funding to a foreign company, the same money that will be paid by the taxpayer,” he submitted. Kukhanyeni MP Malavi Sihlongonyane held a different view on the matter, stating that to his knowledge, all stakeholders were engaged in the tender process of the Mpakeni Dam construction and all processes were followed. Sithobelweni MP Bhekitje Dlamini submitted that he cared less about the tender process or anything closer to that but he was only advocating for the employment of emaSwati through the project.

Responding to submissions by the Ndzingeni MP, Minister Mabuza appealed to the MPs to leave the procurement process to ESWADE and stop interfering. He submitted that the only time MPs should get in the way of the process was when there was breaching of the procurement processes, which to his understanding, had not been breached thus far. The minister stated that bringing the issue into parliamentary discussions while the process was ongoing was wrong in more ways than one, including that it influenced the decision on which company the tender should go to, as well as clouding a lot of the procedures. “ESWADE has done this a number of times, and with all due respect, let’s leave them to complete the task at hand and stop disturbing the process of a government parastatal. If it comes out that there was a breach of policy in the tender process, legislators are allowed to bring the responsible persons to account but for now, let’s leave it to the responsible entity,” he said.

Delayed

Mabuza shouldered the blame on the delay of the project which should have commenced last year, and he stated that had it not been delayed, 1 300 emaSwati would be employed in the dam construction process. Meanwhile, the minister highlighted that the country could have achieved enough food security had the ministry had enough funding. He stated that with adequate irrigation and infrastructure, including the completion of the Mpakeni Dam project, that could have been achieved. He revealed that the limited financial resources allocated to the ministry also posed a challenge and watered down the efforts of the ministry and stakeholders. “We still advocate for the allocation of at least 10 per cent of the national budget to agriculture for the execution of core functions of government in the sector,” he shared. He highlighted that during the period under review, the ministry constructed eight scoop dams at Mhlangatane and one at Mafutseni. At least half of the MPs, who made submissions during the debate, highlighted the significance of having the scoop dams as a source of irrigation to enhance farming, particularly in the rural areas.

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