AT LEAST E27 MILLION IN SCU ACCOUNT IN 7 DAYS

LOBAMBA – In seven working days, the Swaziland Christian University (SCU) will have at least E27 million in its account.

This was the condition set by Members of Parliament (MPs) yesterday as they finally passed the E20.4 billion National Budget.
The MPs said it was a joke that the university had been allocated only E5.4 million and said government had made an agreement with SCU that they would give it E27 million annually.

The MPs refused to pass the budget until the Minister of Education and Training, Phineas Magagula committed to reallocating some money from his ministry to the university.

First to debate the matter was Nkhaba MP Menzi Dlamini, who said as a committee that was selected to handle the SCU issues, they had met with Magagula and the Minister of Finance, Martin Dlamini last week Friday in Parliament.

The committee consisted of Dvokodvweni MP Sitezi Dlamini, Nkwene MP Sikhumbuzo Dlamini and the Speaker Themba Msibi.
The Nkhaba MP said when they met the ministers they had both sang one tune that Cabinet had agreed to the allocation of the E27 million and that a proper report would be given to them on Monday.
Dlamini said when they met on Monday it was a different story, as Magagula stated that he now had to consult Cabinet again on the budget issue.

Meanwhile, MP Sitezi said the meeting on Monday was very disappointing.  “The Education minister came with the principal secretary and told us that there had been no reallocations made, so its back to square one,” he said. MP Sitezi said the issue of SCU had long been discussed and it was clear that Cabinet defied not only the Head of State, but also Parliament, and even itself because they had agreed to the E27 million subvention.

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