AUTHORITIES TAKE FULL RESPONSIBILITY FOR CARS - PRINCESS SIKHANYISO

LOBAMBA – Princess Sikhanyiso has partly addressed the issue of royal cars that has caused a frenzy, both locally and internationally.

The Minister of Information, Communication and Technology, actually made a statement in the House of Assembly yesterday but left legislators baffled on what she was actually trying to say regarding the issue of the now controversial vehicles.
“The country’s authorities take full responsibility for the timing and the sending of mixed signals and therefore appreciate the counsel of the nation,” she said in part, in her statement.

The minister had, in her preamble before the Ministry of Information, Communication and Technology Portfolio Committee, touched on the widely discussed issues of the acquisition of royal family official vehicles/State vehicles (escorts) and the issue of the delegation list for official trips.
She said one of the key mandates of her ministry was to facilitate the provision of accurate information in the quest for peace and stability in the country.

Developments

“In this era of the proliferation of social media, we have observed some unfortunate developments as a ministry as exemplified by the various narratives on the acquisition of royal family official vehicles/State vehicles and the issue of the delegation list for official trips,” she said.

She said the ministry would like to ensure that it was doing everything in its power to expedite the accurate narrative on the aforementioned issues by line ministries or offices.

The minister said while relevant communicators prepared their response contrary to wide narratives, the country’s authorities took full responsibility.
She added that needless to say, the authorities were known for their open door policy which was in line with the country’s long held tradition to the effect that ‘inkhosi yinkhosi ngebantfu’.

The minister said the above after she had said the commitment of Cabinet to cease hiking tariffs until such a time as salary increments were affected would be revisited in light of the continued economic stagnation which was expected to have improved more dramatically.

Although the MPs did not ask the Prime Minister, Ambrose Mandvulo Dlamini, to explain what Princess Sikhanyiso actually meant in her statement, when he (PM) also appeared before the House, he was simply asked to clarify what the ICT minister had meant about the country’s authorities having taken full responsibility.

“We were expecting you to address the issue and what does it mean that Cabinet will be revisiting the decision on no tariff increases?” asked MP Phila Buthelezi.

However, the PM, due to the running out of time, could only address the issue of the 120 escort vehicles which were purchased by government.
He said he had not seen the ICT minister’s preamble and therefore could not comment on it.

“I will get details on what the minister said, but there is a clear statement on the purchase of the vehicles which government has made,” he said.
The PM reiterated that government had a policy of selling vehicles which were five years and older.
He said the order for the recently delivered vehicles was made last July.
Situation
He said the fiscal situation of the country was still dire.
“However, we are much better than where we stood at this time last year where we didn’t know where money for salaries would come from. This year we know that there is at least enough for this month and the next,” said the PM.
Hosea MP Bacede Mabuza said government had been harping about having no money, but 120 vehicles had been purchased.
He said government should not treat emaSwati as people who did not understand anything.
“There is nothing that has been delivered under the Regional Development Fund, yet cars have been purchased,” said Mabuza.
He said it was a pity that when legislators brought up these issues, they were classified as being under an opposition party yet they were elected by the people under the Tinkhundla System of Governance.
He further stated that some Cabinet ministers and portfolio committee chairpersons had now developed a tendency of channelling the legislators on what questions to ask.

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