TEMPERS FLARE AS PAC MEETS MINISTER’S BROTHER

MAPUTO – “Not in a million years will I ever appear before Parliament.” This was boldly stated by businessman Bheki Mabuza, who told the members of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) in their faces that they should not at anytime, soon or ever, expect him to appear before them.

Mabuza is the Director of FBO Training and Projects (Pty) and Multi-Build Sociedade, which was contracted by the Swazi embassies in Mozambique and South Africa to renovate some of its residential houses and offices to the tune of about E6 million.
The PAC had been looking for Bheki, who is a brother to Minister of Commerce, Industry and Trade Jabulani Mabuza and former Hosea MP and businessman Bacede Mabuza, to answer to alleged irregularities in the manner in which the tenders were awarded to his companies amounting to about E6 million.

As a result, the PAC had even threatened to use Interpol or other avenues to ensure that he appeared before the Parliament sitting, but Bheki, who met with the PAC at the Maputo embassy on Friday morning along with his attorney Sicelo Mngomezulu, made it clear that they had no intention of coming to Swaziland especially in Parliament.

As a result, the PAC decided to conduct an inspection in loco. Bheki told the PAC that he would only appear before the PAC if he was pushed beyond circumstances of the law. What was perceived as Bheki’s arrogance really irked the PAC particularly the Chairperson MP Thuli Dladla who at first refused to grant the businessman’s attorney permission to speak.
It was after a brief caucus of the PAC that Principal Secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Joel Nhleko was able to coax MP Dladla and the other members of the committee to allow the lawyer to speak.

Bheki said he was not sure what the PAC wanted to hear from him because his company was registered in Mozambique and was not a Swazi company. “Just because I am a Swazi from Nhlangano does not make the company Swazi as it is fully registered in this country,” he said.

The businessman said he was surprised to hear the auditor on the spot state that there were three companies which had tendered for the renovation works; two of which were Mozambican and one Swazi company. “Which is the Swazi company that you are talking about because the company is registered in Mozambique under their laws?” asked Bheki.

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