BY MBONO MDLULI
MBABANE – There is no amount of bullying and spread of misinformation that will stop Prime Minister Russell Mmiso Dlamini from fighting corruption in the country.
This was said by Government, in response to reports that are currently circulating about a former NDMA CEO who had not been suspended. Today, reports by local media houses stated that the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) wanted action for failure to suspend former Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the National Disaster Management Agency (NDMA).
Government Spokesperson Alpheous Nxumalo stated that the consistent negative and insinuation reports around the prime minister’s tenure at NDMA smacked of a well-designed and executed smear campaign driven by a certain political cabal not only to tarnish the name of the premier, but also to denigrate his reputation as a committed leader of the business of Government.
Nxumalo said understanding the intricacies and the intriguing operations of a deep-State, it was not a complete surprise to Government that irrespective of the fact that Dlamini survived eight independent audits while at the helm of NDMA, he was still a subject of scrutiny in many forums up to this day.
He said it was interesting that attention and publicity was not given to many individuals whom he said have been found corrupt with ample evidence. “No wonder why at some point, a Member of Parliament (MP) who happened to be in the PAC declared inside the chambers that, ‘Kuyabonakala kutsi sidla sonkhe’” (loosely translated as, ‘It is clear that we are all benefitting.’)
In Nxumalo’s view, the end game plan here is to dampen the spirit, commitment and energy to fight corruption. “Government wishes to reiterate her total onslaught against corruption as commanded by the authorities and the entire nation during the people’s parliament (Sibaya), and to this end, the Honourable Prime Minister Russell Mmiso Dlamini will ensure that the onslaught continues unabated. There’s going back!”