Government scholarship for sale – parents

MBABANE – The Ministry of Labour and Social Security’s admission that some staff members are involved in misconduct in awarding scholarships has seemingly opened a can of worms.

The Times of Eswatini has been inundated with calls from parents claiming they are victims of a bribery scam. These parents alleged that individuals posing as agents demand money, ranging from E5 000 to E10 000, to secure a scholarship for their child.

Parents alleged that they had to borrow money from lenders to meet these demands. One parent stated that the agents typically make the demand just before scholarship interview dates, leaving them no choice, but to borrow the money to ensure their child gets the scholarship.

The parents are calling for a commission of inquiry to investigate the matter, as they feel the current system is prejudicial to those without money. A concerned parent, whose name is being withheld, shared her experience after her daughter, for whom she is the sole surviving parent, did not receive a scholarship despite their vulnerable financial situation.

The mother, who survives by hawking, was approached by a man claiming to be an agent for the Ministry of Labour and Social Security.

He told her he could help them get the scholarship because he knew officials within the ministry who could ‘make this happen’. The agent demanded a payment of E5 000 for the official he knew. “Imagine sisi, as it is, I don’t earn much and I am still pained by the fact that my daughter did not initially receive the scholarship. Now someone is telling me to fork out E5 000. This is so unfair,” the parent lamented.

Some parents said they were afraid to speak out for fear their children would be victimised.

The Ministry of Labour and Social Security Communications Officer, Nompilo Mncina, strongly condemned the practice of individuals posing as agents. She stated that the ministry does not hire or associate with such people and expressed shock that anyone would take advantage of vulnerable emaSwati in this way.

Mncina urged the public to deal directly with the ministry on scholarship issues.

The admission by the ministry follows a report from a select committee that investigated allegations of bribery and nepotism in the scholarship system.

The ministry revealed that cases of implicated staff have been referred to the Royal Eswatini Police Service (REPS), with investigations now underway.

The report states that principals and heads of tertiary institutions described the practice of forcing students to pay bribes as unethical and illegal. They warned that this misconduct disproportionately affects young people from low-income and rural backgrounds, as they often do not have the financial means to pay bribes.

The committee found that this has deepened inequality in access to higher education, effectively shutting out the very students the system was meant to help.

The Coalition of Student Representative Councils submitted to the committee that officials routinely award scholarships based on personal or political connections instead of merit or financial need.

They claimed this behaviour has eroded trust in the credibility of the scholarship system and has contributed to a widening inequality within the country’s education framework.

Full article available in our publication.