‘WHY I BEAT UP PARASTATAL CEO’

MBABANE – The supplier who assaulted a chief executive officer on Tuesday alleges that he is owed about E100 000.

The supplier’s name is known to this publication, but will not be named because he has not appeared in court.
The businessman admitted that he assaulted Eswatini Economic Research Policy and Analysis Council (ESEPARC) CEO Dr Thula Dlamini with open fists due to the non-payment of work done. He said what angered him was that Dlamini allegedly disrespected him, by laughing while he asked for his payment. He said this was after he had learnt that some people in management had allegedly said he would be paid at a later stage.

“It is true that I slapped him; I was angered by the way he responded to me, he was unprofessional and thought I was a fool. I run a business that needs money,” the businessman said.

The businessman said he would have understood if Dlamini failed to pay him because there were no funds. He said he found the reason not to pay him as one meant to frustrate him.

“I am not saying what I did was right, but I assaulted him unintentionally after I saw that he was not taking me seriously, while I went to communicate peacefully,” the businessman said.
The businessman said he believed he was fighting for what was his.

He said what Dlamini did pained him and showed a side of him that he did not want people to see.
“You cannot speak to a businessman and refer to him as ‘exe’ as if we are playing a game of dice,” said the businessman. He alleged that Dlamini giggled and declined to give him valid reasons why he was failing to authorise his payment.

He said his employees had been turned back about five times when they went to collect payment.
“On more than one occasion, he said he would not pay me because there were dirty windows which needed to be cleaned, which I cleaned” the supplier alleged.

The businessman said at some point he had to send about 10 people to clean one window in a bid to have his money released, but that did not help as the payment did not come through. He alleged that he was once told to clean the windows at around 6am.

The businessman said he had hoped that he would be paid after he had ensured that all the windows were cleaned but that never happened. He said he learnt that the institution wanted to pay him around month end. He said he found this inappropriate, as he had done the work he was contracted to do.

The businessman stated that what frustrated him was that he worked with project managers and supervisors, whom he had to pay. He said the people he worked with had begun to suspect that he was paid by the parastatal but did not want to give them their dues. He said this damaged the trust he had with the project managers and supervisors.

The businessman narrated that what broke the trust with his suppliers and employees was that they knew that ESEPARC usually paid them in less than a week after completing certain duties. He said the organisation had already been paid over E600 000 for renovations done at the new offices.

Stalling

He stated that his suppliers failed to understand what was stalling the E100 000 payment, as things were running smoothly in the past. The businessman said he was naturally a respectful man but assaulted Dlamini because of the way he spoke to him.
“I had told myself that I would go to his offices every day until he gave me my money.”

The businessman said he had planned to go to the offices every day but was advised against doing that.
He confirmed that police had called him about the matter and he would go to them and hear what they had to say. He said he would not deny assaulting Dlamini.

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