SERIOUS CORRUPTION CLAIMS IN OVC, FPE GRANTS

MBABANE- Accusations of widespread corruption have surfaced, alleging mismanagement of the Orphaned and Vulnerable Children (OVC) and Free Primary Education (FPE) grants.

It was alleged that foreign nationals’ children are now benefiting from the FPE grant, while many undeserving children have been wrongfully included in the OVC programme, depriving truly vulnerable children of crucial support. Additionally, concerns have been raised about the diminishing professionalism in teaching, prompting urgent calls for the capacitation of teachers to restore standards in education. This is according to Nomsa Mndzebele, who was representing the Hhohho Regional Education Office (REO) during Tinkhundla Councils’ budget consultation meeting held at Pigg’s Peak REO Offices yesterday. The consultations are conducted by the Planning and Budget Committee (PBC), a governmental body formed by the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Economic Planning and Development and the Ministry of Public Service, tasked with overseeing the development and implementation of the national budget.

Initiative

The PBC is currently conducting a sensitisation process at regional level and this initiative involves educating chiefs and tinkhundla councils about the budget formulation process and relevant government legislation. Speaking during the meeting, Mndzebele said there was a need to strengthen data on the government grant programmes to ensure that deserving individuals access the grants. According to Mndzebele, the OVC and FPE grants are a challenge to the ministry as there is corruption in terms of the data presentation. She alleged that children who do not qualify tend to be included in these grants, including the OVC.

Mndzebele explained that FPE was established for the benefit of emaSwati, however, currently, foreign nationals’ children are allegedly accessing the grants. Adding, she called for collective strengthening of data, whereby several individuals are involved in the process of awarding the grants.“The process should include head teachers, chiefs and health motivators, among others, so that they can map the list of children accessing the grants to see if they are indeed supposed to benefit. You sometimes see someone driving a big car, employed as a civil servant but carrying a government grant award letter. This deprives the vulnerable children access to the grants,” Mndzebele alleged.

She went on to state that government used to have an active in-service department, which has allegedly ceased operations. Mndzebele explained that this department was able to capacitate newly appointed head teachers on how to handle schools finances. According to Mndzebele, schools’ finances are now misused because head teachers are not well-equipped. She called for the strengthening of the department to assist in preparing practicing teachers. Furthermore, she alleged that the current crop of teachers needs capacitation through cluster and zonal workshops.

Suicide

“There is no professionalism in teaching. Some teachers, once hired, tend to see wives among the pupils, which is not good. “A lot of teachers have committed suicide because they are being followed up on what they have been doing. We see the need for the in-service department to be strengthened,” she said. She further mentioned the need for the collective participation of government departments to prevent wastage of government resources. She also called for audits in the education sector. Mndzebele explained that the audits should be thoroughly executed, even before teachers could be transferred. “Before a teacher is transferred or takes retirement, a school audit should be initiated.

“Even those still in service, every two years, there should be audits to reduce any wastage,” she said. In response, the Chief Economist in the Ministry of Economic Planning and Development, Sifiso Mamba, said there is a project under development, pioneered by the Deputy Prime Minister’s (DPM’s) Office, to develop a system for the grant programmes to ensure that government assists those unable to help themselves, including the OVCs and the elderly. Mamba said this system will ensure that they have data that is correct and authentic. He said soon, the system will be utilised.

Also, Bheki Ndzinisa from the Ministry of Finance appreciated the submissions.  Ndzinisa mentioned that audits are important in schools before teachers leave, either through transfers or retirement. However, he clarified that audits are not for teachers but for schools. According to Ndzinisa, school audits can be undertaken even if teachers have left the schools, as they are able to be called to answer any audit queries. Moreover, Wendy Shongwe from the Ministry of Public Service assured the council that they would strengthen the capacitation of educators through tailor-made courses. Shongwe acknowledged that many head teachers were trained as educators but not to handle money.
She said they would work with schools in facilitating the capacitation courses for educators.

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