SENATORS, MPS KICK SRA OFFICERS OUT

EZULWINI – About seven high ranking SRA officers got more than they had bargained for when they were unceremoniously kicked out of a meeting by seething parliamentarians.  

“Abahambe vele,” was what Senator Chief Kekela said as he stated that the officials should pick another day to address them. This happened at the Royal Swazi Sun Convention Centre yesterday morning where the legislators had been invited to a workshop by SwaziMed. 
SRA is the acronym for Swaziland Revenue Authority.

“After all we were here for SwaziMed issues and we do not know who invited them here, SRA must set aside a whole day where they will engage us,” said Sandleni MP James Simelane.  
The bone of contention with SRA was the tax demand payment which was made to the MPs where the tax company alleged that the legislators owed various amounts of between E32 000 – E50 000 because they had not been taxed for their medical fund benefits.

Senator Princess Phumelele said SRA actually gave them nightmares (“kusibhudzisa kabi”).
She described or likened the tax authority to witches who attacked them overnight and would bewitch them and as a result they would wake up with diarrhoea. In vernacular she said; “bafana memtsakatsi lofika ebusuku aniloye nivuke nisheka.”

She said as legislators, they had no problem with paying tax, but it was the approach that SRA had.
“They now say I owe them E32 000 for the untaxed medical aid and it is confusing because we do not even know how much government contributes for us as it does not reflect on our pay slips,” said the princess.
Some of the SRA officers who were told to leave included Thobile Dlamini, who was standing in for the Commissioner General, Director Communications Vusi Dlamini, Cynthia Magongo, Ntombifuthi Nhlengethwa and Sikhumbuzo Ginindza, who made the presentation on behalf of the authority.

Trouble started when Senator Prince Fipha, who is chairperson of the Joint House Committee (JHC) and the day’s programme director, told the legislators that SRA was also present at the conference and wanted to make a submission before the main organiser of the event, SwaziMed, presented their own.

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