LOBAMBA- “There is no smoke without fire.”
The statement was made by Prime Minister Russell Mmiso Dlamini when responding to a submission that was made by Senate President Pastor Lindiwe Dlamini who revealed some serious allegations against some officers from the Royal Eswatini Police Service (REPS).
This happened yesterday during the Senate Portfolio Committee debate of the Cabinet and Private Office first quarter performance report for the financial year 2026/2027.
The Senate president began her submission by seeking clarity from the PM on the action being taken against police officers whose alleged unprofessional conduct and unlawful actions had resulted in government paying E15 million in civil suits.
She asked to know whether criminal or disciplinary action was being taken against officers whose conduct had allegedly resulted in the lawsuits and financial losses to government.
She then raised a number of allegations that she said had been brought to her office by members of the public, stressing that her responsibility was to represent the concerns raised by citizens and ensure that they were brought to the attention of the relevant authorities for verification and investigation.
She said the allegations should not be taken as established facts, but should instead be investigated so that their veracity could be established.
She said the concerned citizens had come to report of some alleged links between police officers and foreign nationals residing at a place called Matsebula Flats in Manzini.
Dlamini further reported allegations that certain police officers were allegedly attending parties with the foreign nationals at premises linked to a well-known businessman with businesses in Manzini and Mbabane.
The foreign nationals, according to the claims, are untouchables.
She said her office had been given the name of the businessman but that she would not disclose it in the Senate because of the legal implications of mentioning an individual in connection with unverified allegations.
The Senate president said there were also claims that a police officer cited in the allegations had subsequently been promoted, with the complainants alleging that the officer had been promoted because he was allegedly ‘helping’ senior management or his superiors.
She stressed that such allegations needed to be investigated because they could damage the reputation of the police service, which she said generally did commendable work in ensuring the safety and security of the nation.
Dlamini said her office had also received a complaint involving a foreign national who was allegedly accused of defrauding several young people by promising them employment opportunities overseas.
According to the information submitted to her office, the man allegedly took amounts ranging between E50 000 and E70 000 from the young people.
She said the matter had reportedly been reported to the police and that the suspect was arrested but released the following day.
The complainant allegedly claimed that after his release, the man boasted that nothing would be done to him.
The Senate President said she had details relating to the matter and would submit the information to the relevant authorities so that the allegations could be verified.
She also raised concerns regarding police recruitment, saying there were reports that an individual had been recruited despite allegedly being a child of a person who had committed terrorist acts in the country and subsequently went into exile.
She called for the allegation to be investigated to establish whether there was any substance to the claim and whether proper recruitment procedures had been followed.
Dlamini explained that she would have preferred to raise some of the allegations privately, but decided to bring them before the Senate because she wanted the citizens who had reported them to know that their concerns had been formally raised.
She said citizens often approached offices of public representatives after failing to get assistance through other platforms and that such concerns had to be listened to and referred to the appropriate authorities for verification.
The Senate president emphasised that the allegations should not be viewed as an indictment of the entire police service, which she said continued to play an important role in protecting the country.
She warned, however, that allegations of misconduct by individual officers could undermine public confidence in the police and tarnish the image of the service and the country if they were not properly investigated.
Responding to the concerns, the PM thanked the Senate president for raising what he described as important matters, saying it was necessary for police officers to understand that their conduct was subject to scrutiny.
He said the fact that members of the public were increasingly approaching other offices to report suspected corruption was encouraging, as it provided citizens with an alternative avenue through which their concerns could be raised.
The PM said the country was facing a serious corruption problem, with some people allegedly paying to secure employment and accessing other opportunities that should ordinarily be obtained through legitimate processes.
He said corruption was no longer an issue that could be left to government alone, but was a national challenge requiring the involvement of all emaSwati.
“Corruption happens in all the arms of government,” the PM said.
He mentioned that corruption was taking the country backwards and that the scale of the problem was so serious that it would shock anyone who fully understood its extent.
He said government was working towards developing a national anti-corruption strategy aimed at strengthening the country’s response to corruption.
The PM explained that the strategy would not be confined to the Prime Minister’s Office or the Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs, but would instead be decentralised to allow different sectors and institutions to participate in the fight against corruption.
He said a broader and more coordinated approach was necessary because corruption affected the entire country and could not be successfully addressed by one office or institution acting alone.
Furthermore, the PM welcomed the fact that citizens were beginning to recognise corruption as a collective national problem and encouraged them to continue reporting suspected wrongdoing through the appropriate channels.
He said government would continue working to ensure that allegations raised by citizens were properly considered and that the fight against corruption remained a priority.
“We will ask the police to investigate this issue and also the one that touches on the promotion of the officer. I will engage the Senate president to share the details,” the PM said.
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