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TAXPAYERS BUY PARLY’S CATTLE GIFT FOR KING?

10/02/2019 09:14:00 BY WELCOME DLAMINI

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MBABANE – The country’s legislators are at it again! Having been accused in past of only looking out for themselves at the expense of the ordinary citizenry, especially when it comes to financial matters, the legislators are again reported to have used taxpayers money for their benefit.

The Times SUNDAY has learnt that the members of both Houses of Parliament (Senate and Assembly) allegedly spent public funds to buy cattle as gifts for His Majesty the King and Her Majesty the Queen Mother and passed them off as their gift to Their Majesties. Nine of the cattle have been bought for the King while six are for the Indlovukazi.

It is understood by this publication that there was a heated debate on Monday during a caucus by members of both Houses when the presiding officers told the legislators that cattle had been bought as a present for Their Majesties from them (legislators).
The presiding officers are Senate President Lindiwe Dlamini and Speaker in the House of Assembly Petros Mavimbela.

A senior MP told this publication that they did not take kindly to what the presiding officers told them because of a number of reasons. “We asked them where the money to buy the cattle had come from because no one among the legislators had been asked for contributions. As MPs we would have been able to fork out money from our own pockets to buy the cattle,” said the experienced legislator.

He said they were told by the presiding officers that money had been taken from public funds to purchase the cattle for the king’s gift. “As you know, the country does not have money, so they had no right to take public money to buy the cattle,” he continued.
He said they clarified to the presiding officers that they were not against buying the cattle as a gift for Their Majesties, but were against using public funds and then pretend as if it was the legislators’ cash that was spent.
However, some legislators were reportedly in support of using public funds to buy the cattle for Their Majesties. These legislators are said to have that this has been the practice in the past years so they saw no need why it should change now.

I see nothing wrong – MP

One such legislator is outspoken Motshane MP Robert Magongo who confirmed to this publication that indeed he saw nothing wrong with using public funds to buy cattle for Their Majesties.
Magongo was first asked how much he had contributed towards purchasing of the cattle and his response was that he did not know. “Why is this matter a problem to you?” he asked and when told that it was the role of the media to monitor how public money was spent, he said there were individuals who had contributed a cow each towards the gift.

However, he failed to provide the names of the individuals when asked to do so and pointed to the Speaker for such information.
It was then brought to his attention that the Times SUNDAY knew that the matter was discussed during Monday’s caucus and he had supported using public funds to buy the cattle. He responded: “Yes, that’s what has been previously happening and we never queried it.”

House of Assembly Chief Whip Musa Kunene, who is Gege MP, said the cattle were a gift from all the legislators. “We tasked the Parliament administration to handle the task because it involved the entire Parliament staff. The cattle have been bought by Parliament,” he said.
When asked if he was saying they took money belonging to Parliament and bought the cattle, MP Kunene said that was not what he meant. “On Monday we discussed and agreed on how we will carry out this task. I suggest you call the (Senate) President instead of me commenting on this. Yes we did discuss this and the choosing of which lihiya (kanga) to wear,” he said.
The Chief Whip also wondered why it was an issue that Parliament had bought gifts for Their Majesties because this was the norm. “Every year when the king opens Parliament, Parliamentarians buys him a gift and also buys food that is consumed on the day,” he said.
When told that the problem was that the country did not have money so they were not supposed to use the little available on buying gifts, Kunene said the presiding officers should be the one to respond to this.
However, the responses that were obtained from the Speaker and Senate President complicated matters because they contradicted each other.

presiding officers confusion
The Senate President was sent text and WhatsApp messages after she did not answer her phone when called and her response was brief but hard. “You are out of order. Respect yourself,” she responded, but did not elaborate when follow up questions were asked how this reporter was out of order.
She then contacted Times of Swaziland Managing Editor Martin Dlamini whom she told that the cattle had been donated by chiefs. The Managing Editor told her that she should send this reporter that information as her response but she did not.
This reporter, after having spoken to the Managing Editor, sent her another ext message asking if the information he had told to Dlamini could be used as her official comment but she never responded.
However, her claim that the cattle were donated by chiefs appeared not to hold any water because Senator Chief Ndlaluhlaza Ndwandwe said he knew nothing about it.
The chief, who succeeded the Senate President as Minister for Public Works and Transport, said as far as he knew the gift for His Majesty was a task for MPs, and presiding officers had asked legislators to contribute in any way possible. “There was no specific mention of chiefs. I only know that the cattle are gifts from the legislators, not chiefs,” the chief said.
Also casting doubts on the Senate President’s claim was her colleague the Speaker who gave a totally different version to hers. The Speaker first said Parliament had set aside a budget for the purchasing of the gift. He said those that were saying public funds were uased to buy the catthe were just talking without any base.
He too wondered why this was an issue and when told of the fact that MPs should have been asked to contribute from their own pockets because the country had no money, he then asked not to comment. “I hear what you are saying, but I request not to comment. I have no problem that this matter touches directly on me, but I have no comment,” he said.
He was then asked if what the president said about chiefs donating the cattle was true, the Speaker asked this reporter to make time so that the matter could be explained clearly. He said he had no idea what happened at Senate, but only aware of what transpired in the House of Assembly.
Asked if they did not handle the issue of the gift jointly, the Speaker said: “That’s why I don’t want to comment because this matter involves Their Majesties so it would not be proper to be seen talking about it in the newspapers.”
He ended the interview by continuously insisting in the ‘no comment’ statement.
Deputy Speaker Phila Buthelezi said the Speaker was the one who could respond whether MPs contributed money towards buying the cattle. “This is for the one that is above me,’ he said.
Asked if he, personally, had contributed any amount, he said: “As an individual MP, I ask not to comment.”
Some MPs that were spoken to regarding the purchasing of the cattle also opted not to comment. They were asked whether they had contributed in any way towards purchasing of the cattle. “Please may I not respond to your question? I am still new in Parliament and still afraid of responding to some of these things. Please forgive me. One day when I have familiarised myself with things, I will respond to your questions,” said Siphocosini MP Mduduzi Matsebula.
Nhlambeni MP Manzi Zwane also referred the matter to the Speaker and said the matter was above his capacity.
While at first he said he had contributed a certain amount of money to the purchasing of the cattle, he then changed tune when told that reports were that public funds were used to purchase the cattle.
“Okay, just say that cattle from members of Parliament were presented to Their Majesties. Just handle it that way. But I see no problem if MPs agree on buying a gift for the King. What I know is that both Houses bought 15 cattle for Their Majesties,” MP Zwane said.