Times Of Swaziland: TIBIYO FORMED WITH PUBLIC FUNDS - SIMELANE TIBIYO FORMED WITH PUBLIC FUNDS - SIMELANE ================================================================================ BY SITHEMBILE HLATSHWAYO AND STANLEY KHUMALO on 02/08/2021 08:31:00 MANZINI – Tibyo Taka Ngwane was formed with public funds, says Siphofaneni Constituency Member of Parliament (MP) Mduduzi ‘Gawuzela’ Simelane. Simelane, in a live feed broadcast on his social media page – Mduduzi Simelane Gawuzela – claimed that Tibiyo Taka Ngwane was pioneered by King Sobhuza II, who at first made Lifa Fund. Simelane said when initiating Lifa Fund, King Sobhuza II had intended to buy back farms from the British who were at the time colonising the kingdom. “EmaSwati gave their cattle to bring back local land that was in the hands of the white people and King Sobhuza II explained that the money was to assist the citizenry to get land after buying it back from the whites,” Simelane alleged. After some time, Simelane said the country was granted independence and the need to buy the land back fell through. He claimed that two locals – ex-Prime Minister Obed Dlamini and Musa Hlophe were the first local bankers who then approached King Sobhuza II about the money. Signatories He said they reported that the signatories were no longer around. Simelane claimed that he had questioned Hlophe on this and urged people to do same. He further said royalties were accrued from mineral mines and used to develop Tibiyo Taka Ngwane. The legislator said today, Tibiyo Taka Ngwane was a thriving corporate as it had business interests in various sectors yet its capital came from funds sourced from the citizenry. Simelane claimed that there were certain people who received shares from Tibiyo Taka Ngwane and when one questioned that, he/ she was referred to as troublesome despite that it was money belonging to the ancestors of the citizenry. Arrested “Is it a crime to ask that, such that you have to be arrested or chased?” he asked. Simelane further questioned why the local army had powers to (allegedly) shoot and kill while in South Africa, wherein they experienced the same unrest, soldiers in that republic did not shoot people. He further alleged that local game rangers shot people even if they were outside perimeters of a game reserve. The Siphofaneni Constituency MP claimed that at some point he questioned the Minister of Tourism and Environmental Affairs about this and he responded by informing him that game reserves were not in his jurisdiction. Simelane posed rhetoric questions on whether it was lies that there were 70 per cent of emaSwati who were unemployed and if it was a lie that the health system in the country had collapsed such that there were people who died while anticipating to receive medical attention in South Africa. Expensive “This is because there is no referral hospital in the country; yet there is the ICC (International Convention Centre) and the airport that are quite expensive,” he said. He further questioned if it was a lie that the education of the rich could not be accessed by the poor as there were exorbitant funds to be paid for one to enrol in certain schools. Simelane also rhetorically asked if it was a lie that for a person to be a premier in the country, one had to be a Dlamini and needed to be appointed. He wondered if the people were in a farm while also questioning whether it was wrong for people to seek democracy. The Siphofaneni Constituency MP said it was only in Eswatini where there was a PM who did not commit to the people. Develop He further said in the country, the youth development fund, which was expected to assist 59 constituencies to develop the youth, was allocated E12.6 million which from it, staff and offices still needed to be paid. On the other hand, he claimed that there was a child wearing a watch worth over E21 million who was unemployed and he believed that child received the money from his/her parents. Simelane called upon people to decide to speak the truth and not be happy with the status quo. He took a swipe at armed officers whom he asked were they happy that at certain instances they got paid for performing rituals and even herding cattle.