Times Of Swaziland:  Warrant of arrest for Majozi

Warrant of arrest for Majozi
================================================================================
TIMOTHY SIMELANE on 15/03/2012 00:00:00


LOBAMBA - A warrant of arrest has been issued for Minister of Finance Majozi
Sithole for effecting a 10 per cent salary cut on senators’ salaries without
their permission.
Senate President Gelane Zwane produced a copy of the warrant in Senate yesterday
afternoon at the height of a debate on the salary cuts.
Zwane said all necessary processes had already been arranged to have the
minister confined to jail.
"I had even prepared that he would first be arrested and taken to the holding
cells here and then be taken to the Lobamba Police Station. Eventually, he would
end up at Matsapha Correctional Institute where his wife LaMavimbela would
easily visit him to give him mahewu," she said.
The Senate President also said the warrant was still effective and could have
long been implemented had it not been for that some senators begged her to
obtain permission from the King first.
"I still have not asked the King for this," she said.
The President said the minister had undermined the dignity of Senate and further
defied a direct order as the senators resolved not to allow the ministry to
deduct 10 per cent from their salaries.
When the Senate President said this Sithole sat still and occasionally looked at
the sheathe of books on his table.
The President had also narrated the chronology of events that led to the
deduction of their salaries.
"After senators had taken a resolution against the deduction of their salaries,
the Clerk to Parliament did as expected and wrote to Cabinet informing them that
Senate had this resolution while Assembly had another resolution. However, soon
thereafter there was a memorandum from the principal secretary informing the
accounts personnel of Parliament that salaries would be deducted," Zwane said.
These comments came as many senators registered their disapproval in the manner
in which their salaries were deducted.
It was said the Standing Orders coupled with the Parliamentary Privileges Order
confer powers on the President to discipline anyone found to be undermining the
dignity of Senate.
DPM to send cops for him
LOBAMBA - Acting Prime Minister Senator Themba Masuku said he would send police
to look for Finance Minister Majozi Sithole after he unceremoniously walked out
of Parliament yesterday.
Senator Masuku said he had called Minister Sithole on his cellular phone but it
was switched off.
"Currently I don’t know where he is and will send police to go and look for
him," he said.
Minister Sithole left Senate at about 5.05pm saying he was going to hospital
because the barrage of criticism levelled against him during debates had made
him ill. After his departure, Senate President Gelane Zwane adjourned the
sitting temporarily and called the Acting PM to rush to Parliament.
When Masuku finally arrived at about 6.15pm he was informed of all the
discussions during the debates of the 10 per cent salary cuts and how Sithole
eventually walked out without obtaining permission.
"I was not here when all that happened as I had to rush to sign some documents.
When I heard about this I called the Attorney General to inquire on what should
be done. I also called the Finance Minister but his phone was off. For now I
will ask for the guidance of the Attorney General on what should be done in such
a case."
He said one of the options he had was to have another minister stand in for
Minister Sithole but his hands were tied because in law it is Sithole who has to
ask for authorisation to have another minister represent him. "I’m still to
ask the police to look for the Minister. I’m asking for just 12 hours to 18
hours to find him," he said.
Finance minister lied - Gelane
LOBAMBA – Senate President Gelane Zwane accused the Minister of Finance of
lying, that it was Parliament as a whole that had agreed to the 10 per cent
salary cuts.
Before his unceremonious departure, the senators spent a full hour lambasting
him for defying a resolution that had been taken by the senators against the 10
per cent salary cuts.
The debate had been started by Senator Thulile Msane who presented a copy of the
Swazi Observer which carried what the senators said was an erroneous story to
the effect that senators were not affected by the 10 percent salary cuts.
Senator Msane said the story which quoted debates in the House of Assembly was
unfair because to members of the public, it insinuated that senators were still
receiving their full salaries.
As senators debated this, they started criticising Minister Majozi Sithole,
saying he was wrong to effect the salary cuts much against a resolution of
Senate.
When the minister was finally afforded a chance to speak, he said the
accusations against him were unfair because he did not inspire the story in the
newspaper.
"I did not write the story that senators are talking about. This story comes
from a debate in the House of Assembly. When this issue was discussed some MPs
wanted to know if I was aware that allowances of senators were not affected by
the 10 per cent salary deductions. We answered and said we did not know that.
The Finance Committee said when they followed this they found that there was a
memorandum from the Clerk to Parliament. They said this was the reason that the
allowances were not deducted. Even in Senate there were about two senators who
agreed that the 10 per cent could be deducted from their salaries," he said.
Senate President Gelane Zwane said the Ministry of Finance was wrong to disobey
the order of senators on the strength of a resolution that was taken in the
House of Assembly.
Majozi’s departure leaves vacancy
LOBAMBA – The unceremonious departure of the Finance Minister Majozi Sithole
from the budget debate in Senate was said to have left a vacancy that would need
to be filled soon.
Attorney General Majahenkhaba Dlamini said Section 72 of the Constitutions
details what must be done when a minister is to be represented by another. It
states that the Finance minister has to ask for permission from the Prime
Minister to ask another minister to represent him. In this case the Minister of
Finance has not done that. "I don’t know if we can say that there is a vacancy
at the ministry now that the minister’s whereabouts are not known.
"We can say there is an artificial vacuum now at the ministry. I also don’t
know how we can solve this. If another minister is availed to continue with
business there is the risk of the incumbent minister showing up to say he should
have been consulted first," Dlamini said.
The AG said this when the senators were at a crossroads on how to continue with
the Appropriations Bill now that Minister Sithole left them in a lurch. He said
the situation that occurred yesterday was the first of its kind in the country
as it was unheard of. "No ministry can remain without a minister," he said.
Senate President Gelane Zwane said: "The minister did not even get the
permission to go and currently we don’t know if there is still a minister or
not at Finance. The acting PM can state if he has the power to appoint another
one." Zwane said the Finance minister had committed contempt of Parliament
because he was not allowed to leave. Today Senate is to resume debating the
Appropriations Bill in committees.
‘Ill’ minister Majozi walks out of Senate
LOBAMBA –Finance Minister Majozi Sithole walked out of Senate complaining of
being ill yesterday.
Senate President Gelane Zwane had to adjourn the House temporarily and call the
acting Prime Minister Senator Themba Masuku to come and attend to the situation.
Minister Sithole walked out complaining of an illness after taking a barrage of
criticism from enraged senators who demanded a withdrawal of the 10 per cent
salary cuts. Senators said he was being disrespectful because he did not even
get permission to leave.
When he left, the time was about 5.05pm and senators were still to resume the
Appropriations Bill in which Minister Sithole was to present a preamble to
motivate the Bill.
After the salary cuts debate had died down, the Minister of Finance was asked to
go ahead with the first reading of the Appropriations Bill and he complied.
The President then asked him when the second reading would be and he said "it
will be tomorrow," much against the will of the senators who had hoped that the
second reading would be on the same day in order to allow the budget debate in
committees to proceed today.
They asked Sithole to state his reasons for deferring the second reading and he
said: "With all the things that have been spoken today I can’t be able to
continue with the second reading. Kuko konkhe lobekubhekiswe kimi angeke
ngikhone kuchubeka na lepreamble," he said meaning for all that the statements
that have been directed at me. I can’t continue with this preamble."
The senators then expressed their dissatisfaction with the minister’s stance
and said he was still undermining the dignity of Senate.
"How can he say he will not continue because of a debate on another subject. We
are now in the Appropriations Bill," said Senator Themba Msibi.
Deputy President Ngomuyayona Gamedze asked that there be a 15-minute adjournment
in order to discuss this with Minister Sithole.
However, the President sustained the debate as a few other senators wanted to
exhaust it.
She said the minister’s attitude would cause the time allocated for the budget
debate to elapse.
"Does the minister want the time allocated for the debate of the budget to
elapse so that he would take it to the King for a signature without any input
from Senate?"
Sithole then stood as if to make a point. When he was given the podium, he said
"ngicela kuya esbhedlela. Sengetfuke kakhulu," meaning "may I be allowed to go
to hospital. I am now too shocked."
Before the President could allow him to leave, the minister took all his books
and headed for the door, leaving senators bemused.
-------------------------
Comments
While Swazis are dying from hunger and HIV a whole senate of adults is busy
playing hide & seek, cops & robbers. Gelana you know that the arrest warrant is
not worth the paper it is printed on, that is why it is not with the police, who
are the only ones who can execute it. I really hate this joke of a system of
governance.
Mar 15, 2012, 4:03 AM, Hlengiwe (hlengie.mkhonta@yahoo.com)
We the general public want to issue a warrant of arrest to all cabinet ministers
for Circular no.1 of 2010. Why must the the law have eyes to cushion people when
it suits them.?
Mar 15, 2012, 4:03 AM, Bongie (bongzar@twitter.com)
WHERE DO YOU START UCALAPHI AS CABINET.These are the ppl who have 2lead by
example n aprove the salary cuts....by refusing it shows that they are nt
comitted to their work instead they want to enrich themselves.
Mar 15, 2012, 4:03 AM, G-republic (colanidlamini14@yahoo.com)
The whole cabinet is sick honestly...salary cuts should be effected to every one
....and Gelane herself should get a life for mocking the minister of finance
utsi batsini labatfwana bakhe netihlobo takhe... about lokummosha
ngemahewu...you guys nitidli nje...ngubani lokufuna ajutjwelwe imali...and who
should not....? Gelane seems to be holding a joy stick in parliament..well done
Majozi every one akajubelwe imali...
Mar 15, 2012, 9:23 AM, seed (seedwellm@yahoo.co.uk)
Guy this thing done 2 d minister z unfair,mine ngbona vele kusita lokutsi kube
nale cut kuma salaries alabantfu laba bcoz kwayona le parliament kute umsebenti
wayo,mine ngbohle ngkhohlwa kutsi it exists nje.BEKUNENE SOLO ANENELI.
Mar 15, 2012, 9:23 AM, ajax (sbantubantu@gmail.com)
Cha niyasihlaza la emaveni lapho sikhosele khona. Asisati kutsi sitalivikela
kanjani nalelive letfu la maveni. With so many challenges in the country you
have a whole senate acting very infantile and wasting precious time that they
should be dedicating to national issues.
Mar 15, 2012, 9:23 AM, Thabisile Levin (thabisile@intsatsakusa.co.za)
I just do not understand why these people want Majozi to be arrested , they are
just fat cats who want all the money. On the other hand they complaining about
how the economy is unstable . Shame on you so called "SENATORS"!!!!!!!!!
Mar 15, 2012, 10:09 AM, tyzzzzzzzz (dangertyzz@twitter.com)
These Senators are so useless, all they do is to galavinate on issues that will
only help their own stomachs, instead of adressing issues which are of great
importance in the country babhizi bahlanganyela The Minister, which is so unfair
for him. They act so imature!!
Mar 15, 2012, 10:58 AM, mandlazi (madlazimagawula@yahoo.com)
This country was blessed with a good culture of oneness and mutual respect. I
expect that to prevail in all the cadres of this country's leadership including
in the house of senate. Let this issue be resolved amicably before it gets out
of hand and starts embarassing our good country.
Mar 15, 2012, 11:59 AM, Sibusiso (cliffsdlamini@ymail.com)
This only happens in swaziland. Yehheni, naba bantfu betikhundla balwa bodvwa!
Mar 15, 2012, 3:20 PM, Lord Anthony (anthonym198@gmail.com)
How i wish the time wasted in debating this was spent on something else because
when the international media reports on this, it will say "King Mswati accused
of cutting Parliamentarians salaries by 10%." Cha niyakwati kuhlaza live letfu
Nengwenyama yetfu, sinetsembe nakangaka pho!
Mar 15, 2012, 3:20 PM, Brother Leader Dr Sanele (drsaneledlamini@yahoo.com)
Finally the student movement takes action. It was long overdue. Now, where are
the workers? They are also needed for support.
Mar 15, 2012, 4:45 PM, mfundvo ndzimandze (mfundvo.ndzimandze@gmail.com)