BORDER RESTORATION MEMBERS SET FOR E1.3M BOUNTY EACH

MBABANE – Finally!  After many years of isolation, members of the Border Determination and Special Committee (BDSC) may be pensionable if the summary report of the Royal Commission on Conditions of Service for politicians and councils is implemented as it is.

Classified under ‘full-time’ emabandla, the BDSC has never been part of the Members of Parliament and Designated Officers Bearers Pension Fund (MOPADO) since the committee was established in 1996. It was the only libandla (royal committee/council) that was not contributing to the MOPADO.
Liqoqo, Ludzidzini Royal Committee and Elections and Boundaries Commission (EBC).

Liqoqo is an advisory council to His Majesty the King, while the Ludzidzini Royal Committee could advise the King but oftentimes offer advisory counsel to Her Majesty Indlovukazi and further deliberate on land and chieftaincy disputes while the EBC conducts national and municipal elections.
On the other hand, the Border Determination and Special Committee has been pushing its two-decade old agenda to acquire large sections of land in Mpumalanga and Kwazulu-Natal in South Africa, a claim that has met resistance from the government of that country.

It remains unpopular with the masses as people and organisations doubt its effectiveness in reclaiming land taken by the Boers some decades ago.
Meanwhile, the Dr. Philemon Mnisi-led Royal Commission recommended that a pension contribution of 15 per cent should be deductable from the basic salary of the full-time emabandla and parliamentarians, which includes members of the Boarder.

It is not certain why the Boarder members were not included in the pension fund, but sources close to the matter divulged that they were treated by the previous administration as a special project – meaning they were in office for a specific time.

Govt’s E13 895.54 for each

A member of the emabandla is paid a basic salary of E46 318.50.
It effectively means, a sum of E6 947.77 will be deducted from a member’s salary while government will contribute E13 895.54 to the scheme. That translates to 30 per cent of the member’s scheme coming from the employer.

The Times SUNDAY can mention that each member of the Border Determination and Special Committee might, in total, contributes E20 843.31 per month (E6 947.77 + E13 895.54) to MOPADO; translating to E250 119.72 annually.

In a five year period, the Border member would have contributed E1 250 598.60 (roughly E1.3 million before interest).
The first chairman of the Border Committee was the late Prince Khuzulwandle who also served, at some point, as the minister of education.
It is now under the chairmanship of Prince Guduza, both former Speaker and Cabinet minister.

The Members of Parliament and Designated Office Bearers Pension Fund is a defined contribution pension fund limiting the participants’ benefits to their contributions in terms of the Retirement Funds Act.

At the end of the term of office, one third of the benefit can be paid out in a lump sum.
One third of E1 250 598.60 is E416 866.20, which is the lump sum a member stands to get even if there was no interest.
The remaining balance then becomes pension payable upon the member reaching the retirement age of 55.

Parliamentarians and emabandla are insured as part of the fund against accidents and death in terms of a contract concluded by Government with an insurance company.

The insured benefits include -
Group life insurance of two times annual salary in the event of death of a member whilst in office;
Disability cover for a member while in office; and

Funeral assistance of E20 000 for member, spouse and children while member is still in office; and E20 000 for the member thereafter.
Prince Guduza, the Chairman of the BDSC, confirmed that the committee members did not contribute to any pension scheme. When he assumed his position as the chairman, he said he found the request for the pension fund membership on the table.

He said the BDSC members had been expressing desire to be like all the councils, and contribute to the Fund.
“We are currently not pensionable,” he said.
The prince was not in a position to indicate why the special committee was sidelined or isolated because he did not have such information.
Neal Rijkenberg, the minister of Finance, said he had instructed the Ministry of Finance’s Communication Officer Setsabile Dlamini to respond to our questions.
The communications officer had not done so at the time of compiling the report, though she had promised to do so.

MP Marwick Khumalo, the ex-Chairman of MOPADO and highly experienced legislator, reserved his comments on this issue. Khumalo is presently a member, and the Board is yet to appoint a chairman.

Mduduzi Gina, the Secretary General of the Trade Union Congress of Swaziland (TUCOSWA), said the members of the Border, from a principle point of view, deserved to be part of the Pension Fund because they drew remuneration from an employer.
He said their term of office was five years just like the MPs.

“Any worker must have something to live on upon retirement or when he loses his job,” he said.
He said it was his belief the employer would contribute as well as the members of the Border Determination and Special Committee.
The new Board is yet to be gazetted as well.

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