Jabulile Mashwama accused of ignorING corruption

This is information contained in a leaked cable by US-based news cable WikiLeaks, allegedly from the ambassador to his government.

Mashwama is the Minister of Commerce, Industry and Trade in Swaziland.

Apparently, this cable came after a meeting the ambassador had with Mashwama and another he allegedly had with certain local businesspeople towards the end of last year.

The meeting between the minister and the US envoy was allegedly held on November 19, 2010. "The minister agreed with the ambassador that there is a perception that corruption is rampant in Swaziland, although she and her husband, who is a businessman, had never experienced it.

"She emphasised that the Pri-me Minister Sibusiso Dlamini and the Cabinet were focused on the issue, and that a Cabinet working group had been formed to tackle the subject," it alleges.

Minister Mashwama allegedly revealed that government wou-ld be highlighting seven high-profile corruption cases over the next few months, one of which, concerning a school principal who had embezzled funds from his institution, which was in the courts.

"Nevertheless, we suspect she is in denial regarding the extent of corruption in the country. In the course of the conversation, she made her unswerving loyalty to the King and prime minister abundantly clear," it is further alleged in the cable.

On November 18, the ambassador had allegedly hosted a luncheon for 15 managing director-level leaders of American businesses and franchises in Swazi-land.

"The overarching impression left from the business leaders’ comments was that government corruption and requests for kickbacks have got substantially worse in Swazil-and ov-er the past few ye-ars, costing their enterprises a great deal of business to less scrupulous local and regional competitors. Participants indicated that requests for bribes by government officials have become more blatant.

"When participants discussed the new Anti-Corruption Commission, they were dismissive of its possible effectiveness and openly scoffed at Prime Minister Sibusiso Dlamini’s anti-corruption campaign. Business leaders also mentioned that courts tended to hand down lenient sentences to those few actually convicted for corruption," the cable further alleges.

On another note, the ambassador then allegedly praised Mashwama, whom he said appeared idealistic and energetic about her portfolio, ‘which she indicates has taken her a year to master’.

"She recognises that there is much to be done to improve Swaziland’s image as an investor-friendly country, and concedes that government dysfunction hinders its ability to address shortcomings. It is possible that she has been shielded from corrupt practices having worked for Coca Cola, which enjoys a special status in Swaziland thanks to the revenue it generates for the government.

She had allegedly confided in the ambassador that Swazis needed to change their cultural mindset and take greater responsibility for their economic welfare.

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