Home | News | PM, MPS TO BE PAID FOR DOING NOTHING

PM, MPS TO BE PAID FOR DOING NOTHING

28/04/2018 23:38:00 BY WELCOME DLAMINI

Font size:

MBABANE – Talk about manna from heaven! The country’s politicians, who include Prime Minister Sibusiso Barnabas Dlamini, Deputy Prime Minister Paul Dlamini, 75 members of parliament (20 in Senate, 55 in House of Assembly), 55 Tindvuna Tetinkhundla (Constituency Headmen) and 334 Bucopho Betinkhundla (Members of Tinkhundla Executive Committees), will continue being paid their salaries until October, long after they had been relieved of their duties.

Their five year term of office, according to Finance Circular No. 2 of 2013, is deemed to have come into effect on the date of appointment for the Right Honourable prime minister, deputy prime minister, cabinet ministers and regional administrators; and the date of swearing in for Members of Parliament and Members of Senate.

Sworn in towards the end of October

These politicians were all sworn in towards the end of October, with the PM having been appointed in October, while the regional administrators were appointed early November 2013.
Documents seen by the Times SUNDAY show that the PM’s salary will be stopped on November 1, 2018, which means that October will be the last month for him to receive his salary from government. This, it has been learnt, will apply to all the politicians because of what the circular states.

When the politicians get their last pay cheque in October, it is expected that they would have left office as His Majesty the King is anticipated to have dissolved parliament at that time. Parliament will be dissolved in readiness for the 2018 National General Elections.

As confirmed by the Chairman of the Elections and Boundaries Commission (EBC), Chief Gija, the beginning of the elections process is now near and the dates for registration will be announced soon.

“The registration dates are close by and people will soon be told when this process will begin. The media will be the first to be called and given the dates and this will happen soonest,” Gija said.

During registration, members of parliament will still be in office and His Majesty, as Gija said, will only dissolve the august House before the elections process enters nomination stage.

2013 nomination process conducted in August
In 2013, the nomination process was conducted on August 3 and 4, 2013.
Parliament was dissolved at the beginning of August, which means that the MPs’ last month in office was July.

If this trend could be followed even this year, it would mean the MPs, which are inclusive of Cabinet ministers, will be paid for doing nothing for the months of August, September and October. The PM, who earns a basic salary of E77 197.50 a month, will be paid a basic amount of E231 592.50 over the three months for doing absolutely nothing.