By Sifiso Nhlabatsi
MBABANE – Members of Parliament have called for urgent improvements to safety and security at the Mavuso Trade and Exhibition Centre, warning that thousands of people attending events at the facility could be exposed to unnecessary risks if long-standing concerns are not addressed.
The concerns were raised during a sitting of Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC), where the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Trade and its parastatal, the Eswatini Investment Promotion Authority (EIPA), appeared to respond to audit queries contained in the Auditor General’s report.
The committee ultimately resolved to conduct an oversight visit to Mavuso to assess the challenges first-hand after MPs expressed dissatisfaction over the state of the country’s premier exhibition and events venue.
Leading the discussion, the Auditor General explained that the office reviews financial statements submitted by public enterprises before raising queries with the responsible ministries.
The Auditor General said EIPA’s operating expenses had increased significantly during the year ended March 31, 2024. According to the audit findings, operating expenses rose by 55.7 per cent, representing an increase of about E13.26 million compared to the previous financial year.
The Auditor General asked EIPA to explain the main drivers behind the increase and outline measures being implemented to reduce costs, warning that the current trend raised concerns about the authority’s long-term sustainability.
Responding on behalf of EIPA, the authority’s Chief Financial Officer Hanalora Strydom said the comparison presented by the Auditor General had been distorted by changes in the way Mavuso-related expenses were reported.
She explained that in the 2023 financial statements, expenditure relating to the Mavuso Trade and Exhibition Centre had been reported as a single item amounting to E5.1 million. However, in the 2024 financial statements, costs such as repairs, cleaning, maintenance and security had been disclosed separately, creating the impression of a sharp increase.
According to the CFO, expenditure relating to Mavuso in 2024 stood at E4.3 million, representing a 16 per cent decline from the previous year.
She also acknowledged increased spending on printing and stationery, saying it resulted from activities contained in the authority’s work plan. To reduce such costs, she said EIPA had introduced password-controlled printing, centralised paper distribution and was gradually migrating towards paperless operations.
However, the explanations did little to ease MPs’ concerns about the condition of Mavuso.
Zombodze Emuva MP Ntando Mkhonta questioned why the facility appeared to be deteriorating despite continued expenditure.
Describing himself as someone familiar with the venue, Mkhonta said development of the VIP area had stalled while critical security concerns remained unresolved.
He also questioned what plans existed to improve security around the football pitch, adding that a recent event at another section of the complex had experienced a stampede.
“Mavuso is a good facility,” he said, but stressed that more needed to be done to protect members of the public who attend events there.
The committee also questioned increases in board fees and allowances.
The EIPA CFO explained that the increases resulted from a government circular issued after board remuneration had been adjusted towards the end of last year.
Addressing concerns over fencing and other infrastructure, she said consultants had been engaged to work on plans for the VIP area, but implementation had been slowed by budgetary constraints.
She added that fencing improvements remained under consideration, with available funding determining the pace of implementation.
MPs also sought clarification after audit figures showed cleaning costs increasing dramatically from approximately E30 000 to about E1.3 million.
The CFO attributed the apparent increase to another reporting inconsistency involving Mavuso Trade and Exhibition Centre, where expenses had in one instance been combined and in another reported separately, affecting year-on-year comparisons.
Dvokodvweni MP Sifiso Shabalala urged EIPA to prioritise safety and security improvements at Mavuso, warning that the lives of thousands of people attending sporting events, concerts and other public gatherings could be at risk if shortcomings were not urgently addressed.
The Auditor General also highlighted another concern, revealing that rental income generated by the Mavuso Trade and Exhibition Centre had declined sharply from about E5 million to E602 000, while maintenance expenditure remained at approximately E5.1 million.
Responding to the issue, the controlling officer said maintenance costs were heavily influenced by utility expenses, particularly water.
On the decline in rental income, she said EIPA had limited flexibility in increasing venue hire charges because higher fees often drove customers to alternative venues.
She said even modest increases of around three per cent were frequently met with resistance from clients, making it difficult for the authority to improve revenue without losing business.
Following the exchanges, MPs resolved that the PAC visit the Mavuso Trade and Exhibition Centre to inspect the facility and assess the infrastructure, safety measures and operational challenges that had been raised during the hearing. The committee said the visit would enable members to better understand the issues before making further recommendations.
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