E2.4 MILLION MAIZE-MEAL DISAPPEARS

MBABANE –The Deputy Prime Minister (DPM)’s office has not accounted for mealie-meal valued at over E2.4 million.

Phestecia Nxumalo, the Auditor General (AG), said there were 21 900 bags of mealie-meal that were unaccounted for.
Each bag reportedly cost E114.05.

She revealed in her annual report that the food was supposed to be dispatched to various Tinkhundla Centres.
The Tinkhundla Centres include Timphisini, Hlane, Nkilongo, Gege, Manzini South, Hosea, Zombodze Emuva, Dvokodvweni, Lubulini, Shiselweni One, Ngwempisi, Mtsambama, Sigwe, Maseyisini, Motshane and Ngudzeni.

Others are Ntondozi, Khubuta, Ekukhanyeni, Mafutseni, Maphalaleni, Hhukwini, Ntfonjeni, LaMgabhi and Sandleni. The AG expressed concerns that there were neither records acknowledging receipt of the maize meal nor stock movement records for distribution of the mealie-meal to the disaster victims at the Tinkhundla Centres.

“As a result, it could not be ascertained whether the mealie meal was received and distributed to deserving beneficiaries,” said the AG. She said the controlling officer, Khangezile Mabuza, acknowledged the discrepancy but did not produce evidence that the mealie-meal was indeed received and distributed to the Tinkhundla Centres. Mabuza is Principal Secretary (PS) in the Deputy Prime Minister’s office.

“Therefore, I am not convinced that the mealie-meal purchased was utilised for purposes intended,” she said.
“It is disturbing to note that a substantial amount of money was not accounted for and there was no audit trail.”

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