E40million deal to market constitution fails to take off

MBABANE - The dealmakers behind the E400m funds for social upliftments are yet to deliver on a E40m deal to market the constitution eight years later after promising.

Prince Logcogco Mangaliso and Professor Frans Whelpton are frustrated by unfulfilled promises made by the Director of DAFIN Asset Finance Limited George Stander.
Prince Logcogco who is the Chairman of the Swazi National Council Standing Committee otherwise referred to as Liqoqo was chairman of the Constitutional Review Commission at the time.

The commission was to be soon disbanded and replaced by the Constitutional Drafting Committee headed by Prince David. The professor was instrumental in the recording and the codification of Swazi Law and Custom which almost ran parallel with the drafting of the constitution.

Though it could not be established as to how Stander or his company got linked to the constitution making process, according to documents in our possession, he promised to fund the marketing of both the constitution and the recording of Swazi Law and Custom as well as marketing the country as a tourist and commercial attraction entity in 2001.

Professor Whelpton said based on Stander’s promises, he and the prince looked around for companies to help in the process, adding that several advertising and marketing companies made presentations before the Constitutional Review Commission and that they had been waiting for engagement and payment since 2004.

Amongst them was DW Outdoor CC which Professor Wheplton said had been leading in demanding payment, arguing that it was forced to abandon some of its projects to concentrate on the one mentioned above. He also said many others wanted to be paid and were persistently knocking at their door, threatening legal action.

A letter signed by Prince Logcogco dated October 9, 2002, confirms that the Pretoria-based company (DW Outdoor CC) won the tender. Part of the letter reads: “I wish to thank you for the draft agreement submitted for the above mentioned purpose by means of the erection of billboards.”
The prince further wanted information on DW Outdoor CC, including “details in regard to the CC, such as the registration number and date of registration, full details of the business activities of the CC, including its financial structure and financial position and comprehensive design details of suggested billboards including full details of the materials to be used, their lifespan and maintenance requirements.

He also wanted to be furnished with a detailed budget covering all aspects of the project.
“Please let me have your views on the use of overhead advertising such as bridges, and in the towns or villages. Also, please indicate if and where you suggest billboards should be erected in relation to the proximity to the main roads and arterial roads where billboards may well be erected using both faces of a structure for information of people travelling in vehicles, e.g. tourists,” the prince concluded.

Ad Outpost (Pty) Ltd, a Johannesburg-based company, also indicated its intentions to work on the project back in 2000. A letter to Professor Whelpton dated May 5, 2000 and marked “Marketing of the Constitution in the Kingdom of Swaziland” says: “We submit this proposal and request you to approach HRH Prince Mangaliso, chairman of the Constitutional Review Commission and present our proposal.
“The proposal is that the project be a joint venture between ourselves and the Constitutional Review Commission and the establishment of a company in Swaziland.”

And on March 1, 2001, the prince advised Professor Whelpton that the marketing of the country, the constitution and the recording of the Swazi Law and Custom would be after presentation to the nation of the traditional Swazi system of government and the report of the Constitutional Review Commission which was to happen by March 31, 2001.

Though it could not be established whether or not Ad Outpost was also given the job, the prince’s letter creates the impression that there was a promise made to the company. “Please do not give any specific time to Ad Outpost, as it is impossible to determine it at this point in time,” Prince Logcogco told Professor Whelpton in the same letter.