LOBAMBA – Lobamba Member of Parliament (MP) Michael Masilela has alleged that there is “so much corruption” at the Eswatini Posts and Telecommunications Corporation (EPTC), questioning why government is prepared to borrow money on behalf of an institution whose management and financial record have come under scrutiny.
Masilela made the allegations yesterday during the second reading of the three loan Bills tabled by Minister for Finance Neal Rijkenberg.
He said MPs were under growing pressure from constituents because development projects had stalled, while Parliament was being asked to approve additional borrowing.
“You know the reality, outside the situation is bad. It has become unworkable. We were sent by the people in the constituencies. In my constituency, it is the ninth month now, nothing is happening there,” Masilela said.
He said the failure to address problems in constituencies had left MPs struggling to explain the situation to the electorate.
“There is so much disservice happening in my constituency. What do you expect me to say to them?” he asked.
Masilela questioned whether government should place further financial trust in EPTC, given what he described as failures within the institution.
“As much as we are helping EPTC, the entity failed. There was an electoral system by the Elections and Boundaries Commission (EBC) and now you are bringing them again, how do you trust them so much?” he asked.
The MP then made serious allegations about corruption within the corporation, saying Parliament needed to confront the issue rather than simply provide additional funding.
Masilela said the alleged corruption should not be ignored while Parliament considered using public funds to support the corporation.
“We see corruption but are failing to discuss it. I am not personal. I just want to know, minister, you now trust EPTC that much?” he said.
However, Minister for Finance, Neal Rijkenberg has sought to distance the EPTC from controversy surrounding the Elections and Boundaries Commission’s (EBC) election technology, saying the corporation was not involved in procuring the equipment or software used in the electoral process.
Rijkenberg was responding to allegations raised in Parliament by Lobamba MP Michael Masilela, who questioned whether Government could continue placing its trust in EPTC while concerns had previously been raised about the corporation and its involvement in Government projects.
Masilela had also raised questions about the Royal Science and Technology Park (RSTP) and other technology-related projects.
In response, Rijkenberg said EPTC should not be held responsible for the EBC election technology procurement.
“They weren’t involved in those election gadgets and election things that took place. That was EBC themselves directly getting it from private suppliers of gadgets and private suppliers of software packages,” Rijkenberg said.
He said the matter involving the EBC could therefore not be used to attribute responsibility to EPTC.
“Just to absolve EPTC from that one, it wasn’t them,” he said.
Rijkenberg said the wider circumstances surrounding the EBC procurement could be discussed separately, but maintained that EPTC was not responsible for that particular process.
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