NEW BMW X5S FOR OWEN, CHRISTOPHER

MBABANE – With a new a bumper salary of E61 757 per month from monthly earnings of E46 318, newly-appointed ministers are in for real upgrade.

The broke government will also buy them new cars worth around E1 million apiece. These vehicles are the top-of-the-range and luxurious BMW X5 sport utility vehicles.
An entry level of these vehicles costs E945 700 and the price goes up to over E1 million.

On top of these cars, new ministers Owen Nxumalo and Christopher Gamedze, who head the Public Service and Tourism and Environmental Affairs ministries respectively, will also have access to the Chevrolet Trailblazers, which they would use for their alternative transport needs.

All these are some of the benefits in kind of being a minister in Swaziland.
They are provided for in Finance Circular No.2 of 2013, a document that provides the terms and conditions of service of Swaziland politicians.
The remuneration framework for Swaziland’s parliamentarians also provides that at the end of the politicians’ term of office, they will be allowed to purchase the vehicles from government at a depreciated value.
Nxumalo is also a member of parliament for the Manzini South constituency, while Gamedze represents the Mafutseni constituency in parliament.

They were appointed to replace former ministers Gideon Dlamini and Magobetana Mamba, who were relieved of their ministerial duties on Friday. 
Makhosini Mndawe, Principal Secretary (PS) in the Ministry of Public Works and Transport, said the new vehicles would be provided to the politicians as soon as possible, in fulfilment of provisions of the circular.
“They will use them while they conduct their day to day government business and for their personal use,” he said.

As per the circular, government will service and maintain the vehicles and the ministers would be provided fuel at no cost to them.
The two men, who will be in office possibly until 2018, will also enjoy a host of allowances such as communication and housing allowance equivalent to 25 per cent of their monthly basic pay.
In an interview, Minister Gamedze said he was currently driving an Isuzu double cab vehicle.

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