LOBAMBA – Show ‘agape love’ to the elderly!
This is a statement which was repeated countless times during the Budget Speech Debate which took place at the House of Assembly yesterday.
The statement was directed to the Minister for Finance, Neal Rijkenberg, and it was a request for him to go back and include an increase of elderly grants in the national budget.
The minister presented the 2026 Budget Speech last Friday and yesterday, the House of Assembly got the opportunity to debate it.
It appears that most of the MPs had come with one intention – to make him aware that for them to support him and pass the budget; he must make a commitment that he will increase the elderly grants.
First to speak on the issue was Phondo MP Bonginkosi Dube, who said while he was grateful for the Budget Speech as it addressed challenges faced by emaSwati, he was disappointed that it did not in any way touch on the issue of elderly grants.
Dube said at his constituency, the elderly are struggling on a daily basis.
“On behalf of the people of Phondo, I am here to request that the minister for Finance meet with the Finance Committee and decide where they can do some reallocations in order to find money for the elderly grants.
“The cost of living has become high and when the elderly grants are low, it puts a lot of pressure on the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister,” Dube said.
Also speaking on elderly grants was Mtfongwaneni MP Nathi Hlophe, who said he had hoped that following the implementation of the salary review for civil servants, the grants for the elderly and persons with disabilities would be looked into.
Nkilongo MP Petros Sibandze said he wanted to propose that MPs do not pass the budget until elderly grants are increased.
“The elderly are vulnerable and they are suffering because they are expected to take care of their grandchildren. When you look at the budget, you can see that there has been an increase in the budget for travel. I propose that the increase for travel be reallocated to the elderly grants,” Sibandze said.
Lobamba MP Michael Masilela said he had not come to oppose the passing of the budget but to simply request that the elderly grants be increased.
Meanwhile, Hhukwini MP Alec Lushaba submitted that the Budget Speech was clear that the minister for Finance had clearly understood the directive by the King, in particular the emphasis on spreading agape love.
On another note, Lobamba Lomdzala MP Marwick Khumalo, who doubles as the Finance Committee Chairperson, congratulated the minister on the budget but said he, himself was concerned about the non-allocation for the elderly grants.
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… minister accuses some MPs of cattle smuggling
LOBAMBA – Minister for Agriculture Mandla Tshawuka yesterday made a startling revelation to the effect that some politicians are involved in cattle smuggling, thereby being instrumental in the spread of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD).
Notably, most MPs criticised the minister for having failed to contain the spread of the disease despite government having allocated about E40 million.
The minister began his debate by submitting that he supports the budget that was tabled by his colleague, Minister Neal Rijkenberg, last week.
He said the budget tabled is clear that it wants to address the challenges faced by emaSwati, including the need for clean water.
Tshawuka then said he wanted to touch on the budget, in particular the allocation of E15 million for cordon fencing and E57 million for the vaccination exercise.
The minister said MPs have a right to raise their concerns but that he wanted to clarify that the disease got into the Kingdom of Eswatini from South Africa.
He said in the Shiselweni Region, the disease was conquered as the strain was a different one.
He said a new strain hit the country at Mambane and other areas.
Tshawuka said this was a sign that the main issue is the cordon fences and that the money allocated needs to be used to address it.
“That is why it is important to use the E15 million on the cordon fence. We have done calculations and are aware that a lot of money is needed, but we have to use what we have,” he said.
Elaborating, Tshawuka said the E57 million is for the vaccination exercise, which he explained has already begun.
He said about 910 doses will be used for the exercise.
He then appealed to MPs and the country as a whole to come together and follow all procedures that have been laid out to fight the spread of the disease.
Tshawuka said the habit of bringing in and out cattle using illegal crossings and escaping from the checkpoints needs to come to an end.
He said the unfortunate thing is that some individuals inside the same Parliament have been caught on the wrong side of the law.
Without being specific, he made an allegation that some of the people inside Parliament had had their wives caught contributing to the spread of the disease.
He said some of the individuals use their influence of being honourable Members of Parliament to escape the designated checkpoints and cross with meat or cattle.
*Full article available on Pressreader*
