BY MBONO MDLULI
MBABANE – Government has refuted social media reports which are to the effect that there is an impending Cabinet reshuffle.
Government, through its Spokesperson Alpheous Nxumalo, said it was disturbed that the perpetrators of this information even mentioned names of the ministers who would be moved from one portfolio to another. Nxumalo mentioned that when there would be a reshuffle, His Excellency the Right Honourable Prime Minister, as the chairman of the Cabinet, would make an announcement to that effect.
Nxumalo further mentioned that certain people on social media peddle some lies about a division said to be existing in Cabinet. Nxumalo clarified that Cabinet was a space where its members would debate on issues of national interest. He mentioned that sometimes the debates would be robust and hard. According to Nxumalo, issues were not decided on sentiments or emotions.
According to the Government mouthpiece, decisions at Cabinet were decided based on merit and after robust engagement between Cabinet ministers. He stated that Cabinet was not a forum where a certain person would just sing a song, with others expected to join in. He told the nation that Cabinet was not just a forum where a minister would make a presentation about his or her portfolio, without debates and engagements.
Nxumalo said there was unity in Cabinet, although in diversity. He stated that such was as a consequence of the robust engagements on public interest issues that members of Cabinet would engage in. This was done according to the mandate to which Cabinet was appointed, according to Nxumalo.
The spokesperson also called upon members of the public to report the prime minister to the law enforcement agencies, if they felt that he was not carrying out his mandate as the premier, according to the dictates of the Constitution. Nxumalo said the law enforcement agencies would investigate the veracity of the information and take the necessary steps afterwards. He said this was done to ensure that there was no smear campaign driven against the prime minister by people who could not like him for one reason or another.
In conclusion, Nxumalo said the prime minister did not have the mandate of deciding on external travel matters for ministers. He said that was not the premier’s mandates and he did not work like that. He reminded Emaswati that ministers’ external trips were not just luxuries or vacations, but these were serious working assignments and duties. There was absolutely no way one could value a contribution of a minister when doing his duties nationally or internationally.
Nxumalo mentioned that there were elements that wanted to sow conflict within Cabinet so that the team of ministers, led by the prime minister, could not be able to perform its duties. Nxumalo said what was unfortunate was that such elements existed within the system of the Government itself. He vowed that such a thing would not happen under their watch. He warned members of the public would be aware that as they looked for information from social media, they would constantly be fed with what he termed as misinformation. He pleaded with them to be careful under such circumstances.