CITIZENSHIP FOR SALE TO ASIANS?

MBABANE – “We give Indians citizenship for money.”

Lobamba Lomdzala MP Marwick Khumalo said he was not happy with how the previous Citizenship Board granted many Indians citizenship because they paid out money. He informed the Minister of Home Affairs Princess Lindiwe that it was high time that foreigners who have been in the country for many years were given the first preference in being granted citizenship. He said this during the House of Assembly debate of the ministerial statement by the minister who attempted to give progress on the national civil registration and vital statistics progress.

Khumalo said for example, he knew of four Indian nationals who were granted Eswatini citizenship, but they had already relocated to South Africa. He said for example, many Mozambican nationals had come into Eswatini many years ago while fleeing from the turmoil that occurred in that country. “Some of them were born here and have married our sisters and have their own children, however when they attempt to go and register at Home Affairs they are not entertained,” he said.

Buried

He wondered what should happen to them because this was the only country they knew of and asked the minister where they should be buried. Khumalo said instead of those being granted the citizenship they were left to suffer while Indians who brought the money were given preference. He said for example there was a Mozambican photographer who had lived in Eswatini all his life and always took pictures of the MPs in Parliament. “Where do you expect that person to be buried if they are not granted citizenship?” he wondered. The MPs further told the minister that the registration for birth certificate  regulations needed to be amended especially for old people.

They wondered how the same ministry could issue Identity Documents for the elderly, but then demand a birth certificate in the event that the old person dies. The MPs said the Home Affairs officials would tell people who were in their 60s to go and obtain evidence from a primary school which they had attended before any certificates were issued and that the witness should at least be 10 years older than that person. 

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