MINISTER SIKHANYISO ON EXTENDED LEAVE, MANQOBA IN CHARGE

MBABANE – There is a ‘new’ Minister of Information, Communication and Technology.
Minister of Commerce, Industry and Trade Manqoba Khumalo will now also be in charge of the ICT Ministry, following that the incumbent minister, Princess Sikhanyiso, has taken an extended leave as she is indisposed.

The new changes were announced by the Prime Minister, Ambrose Mandvulo Dlamini, on Tuesday during the ongoing Cabinet retreat which is held at the Pigg’s Peak Hotel and Casino. The nature of the princess’s condition remains unknown. Khumalo confirmed yesterday that he had also been given the position to also temporarily head the ICT Ministry and that the announcement had been made by the PM.  When asked if he could juggle the two ministries, particularly since his own kept him very busy, Khumalo said he would give it his best.

“I will give it my best and will focus on making progress on the key imperatives that ICT is driving in our Strategic Road map,” he said.

Foundation

He said Princess Sikhanyiso (Inkhosatana) had done a great job of laying a strong foundation for success and he was going to work until her return.
“It is going to be hard work, but I will give it my best,” he said.
Meanwhile, Government Spokesperson Percy Simelane confirmed the latest changes.

He said he had double checked with the Deputy Prime Minister, Themba Masuku, who confirmed that the PM had made the announcement yesterday and said the ICT minister was indisposed.
Efforts to get comment from Princess Sikhanyiso’s Personal Assistant Bernhard Reck were not successful as he had not responded to a WhatsApp  text sent to him by 6:15pm, which were blue-ticked and his mobile phone had also rang unanswered.
Of note is that the Inkhosatana was conspicuously missing during the royal events, in particular the Incwala Ceremony. 

During the Swaziland Editors Forum breakfast meeting with the prime minister, the princess was commended for waking up early and attending the meeting as early as 7am. In response, the minister had asserted that before she was appointed to Cabinet, she had come from a night life opposite to the daytime kind of life and it was, therefore, a case of readjusting and learning life altogether again.

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