KELLOG’S E18M BLUNDER: HEADS MUST ROLL - MPS

EZULWINI – Some individuals should be in jail for committing public funds without Parliament authorisation for the Kellog’s Project.
“Kwagangeka ,” (an offence was committed) was the word used by Deputy Speaker Phila Buthelezi.

This transpired yesterday during a parliamentary oversight workshop held for Members of Parliament (MPs) which was meant to equip them on how to debate the budget speech and the budget allocations.

Performance

It was revealed last week, through a report tabled by Chairperson of the Finance Sessional Committee MP Thandi Nxumalo, that the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and  Trade had already committed about E18 million of taxpayers’ money towards the construction of factory shells for the investor.
MP Buthelezi, who was making the presentation, said if they were in a different country, someone would have been locked up and they would be visiting those people at the Sidwashini Correctional Facility.

He said it was crucial for the MPs to be vigilant when scrutinising quarterly performance reports and the Book of Estimates.                
The MPs said perhaps the ministers, in this instance, Minister of Commerce, Industry and Trade Manqoba Khumalo and Finance Minister Neal Rijkenberg were still new and did not know the procedures, but that the officers who approved this knew how government operated and therefore they should fry for it.

Structure

The MPs unanimously agreed that action needed to be taken against those who had deliberately broken the law. Government, through the Commerce Ministry, has budgeted about E220 million for the project.
Hosea MP Mduduzi Mabuza said it did not make sense that government would say it was fetching investors yet it took the very money from the taxpayers to construct factory shells.

Speech

“On top of that, they are given a tax holiday,” he said. Mabuza added that if government would give him a free structure, just like it did with the investors, he would be able to employ more than 200 emaSwati and pay them even better than what some investors were currently paying local workers. The MPs spoke unanimously that heads had to roll with regard to the committed money. They are expected to debate the budget speech tomorrow.

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