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CPA members back Marwick

06/02/2013 00:00:00 SIBONGILE SUKATI

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MBABANE — Six members of the CPA Swaziland branch attended the meeting where the decision to file an application stopping the investigation into the organisation’s operations was made.

CPA stands for the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association. This means they constituted the number of members required to form a quorum, which is half of the 12 voting members.

The meeting was held in Parliament last week Thursday and the Speaker, Prince Guduza, was present. Guduza and Senate President Gelane Zwane are ex-officio members of the CPA.

The local branch’s financial operations are being investigated by the Auditor General (AG), Themba Phestecia Nxumalo.

Members who were interviewed said no one was coerced into agreeing to file a court application and said executive member of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association Joseph Madonsela had long stopped attending any meetings.

Others who were present at the meeting where the Chairperson Marwick Khumalo, appointed MP Mfanawema-khosi Jomo Dlamini, Motshane MP Robert Magongo, Chair of Chairs and Mhlambanyatsi MP Petros Mavimbela and Gege MP Musa Kunene.

Kunene said he was not surprised by the statements that Madonsela had made where he was said to have opposed the court application. "Madonsela has not been himself for some time now and I have started to doubt his political decisions," said Kunene.

He said even during the reversal of the vote of no confidence on Cabinet Madonsela had long shown that he was a different and unreliable person.

Kunene said the meeting had decided that the services of a private audit company should be engaged and not the AG’s office. Kunene said the decision was collectively made at the meeting to approach the courts.

He said Madonsela should have attended the meeting so that he could have made his own contributions as he was invited. "Further according to the CPA constitution, we formed a quorum and, therefore, I do not understand what the whole fuss is about as the matter is now before the courts," said Kunene.

One of the members of the local CPA executive committee has further alleged that the Treasurer, Bhutana Dlamini, was never interviewed by the AG. "How can one investigate the financial operations of an organisation, but not interview the treasurer," wondered the member who wished to remain anonymous.

No one was forced to agree - MP Thandi

MBABANE— Manzini South Member of Parliament (MP) Thandi Nxumalo says it was very unfortunate that she could not attend the meeting.

Nxumalo said although she was not present, she strongly believed that no one was forced to agree into anything that they did not want to.

"Everyone there is an adult and I do not think they were coerced into agreeing to a court process if they were against it," said Nxumalo.

She said only her constituents could make her change her mind, but not her equals. Nxumalo said she was in Pretoria attending to her sick child when she was called by committee clerk, Celumusa Khoza, informing her of the meeting.

"I knew the matter was ongoing and I had thought it would be discussed at the Annual General Meeting because we had been told that the Auditor General was busy with such investigations," she said.

She said she did not mind that the matter was now in court and said it was unfortunate that she could not discuss it in full.

She said the CPA was guided by a constitution.

COMMENTS:

- Yebekunene, if you were facing financial straits and your family was in tatters, and your constituency is on record saying they won't vote for you agaian, you would then understand where MP Madonsela is coming from. Let's not blame the MP please, he's human.
February 6, 2013, 7:45 am, Aggrieved Voter