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‘SGCOKO’ CALLED HIMSELF ‘GOD’ – WITNESS

14/10/2020 00:46:00 BY SIBUSISO ZWANE

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MANZINI – The under fire ETVA CEO Bongani Sigcokosiyancinca Dlamini has been accused of calling himself a ‘god’ and that the ACC allegedly said akabopheki (beyond the reach of the law).

This is contained in the report of the House of Assembly’s Select Committee which was set up to investigate allegations of corruption, nepotism and maladministration reported to be rampant at the Eswatini Television Authority (ETVA) and Eswatini Broadcasting and Information Services (EBIS).

According to the report, the allegations against the television station’s chief executive officer (CEO) were made by a witness, who worked for ETVA for about 16 years. However, the witness was eventually dismissed for alleged gross dishonesty, a charge he strongly denied. The select committee said the witness believed what got him fired was the fact that he allegedly refused to air the CEO’s traditional wedding (umtsimba) during the news bulletin because it clashed with the funeral of a senior member of the royal family. The committee said the witness submitted that what the CEO expected seemed inappropriate to do. “He had actually been warned that the CEO will fire him for this on his return,” reads part of the report.

Furthermore, the select committee said the witness also submitted that the last formal letter he received from the station was the one placing him on suspension with full pay. It said he claimed that he never received a letter of dismissal and so he was taken aback when his salary was allegedly abruptly stopped in October 2018.

He said the best advice he got from the Ministry of Information, Communication and Technology (ICT) was that he should go and apologise to the CEO.

The committee further said according to the witness, the CEO and Corporate Affairs Manager (CAM), Mncedisi Mayisela, allegedly unilaterally used the station’s funds willy-nilly.

“The CEO at some point allegedly paid himself two salaries and the CAM received a salary advance of about E10 000 which he has not paid back to date,” reads part of the report.

The contents of the report remain allegations as its findings are yet to be debated and adopted by Parliament.

The committee’s report also reflected that the witness alleged that the misappropriation of the institution’s assets continued in that, whereas the station was only supposed to furnish one accommodation for the CEO, it turned out that both the CEO’s residences at St Mark’s and Nkhaba had been furnished at ETVA’s expense, much against the institution’s policies.

Moreover, the select committee said the witness submitted that the CEO was alleged to be a law unto himself at the station and even called himself ‘god’.

It added that the witness also claimed that some of the practices, including one that the CEO and CAM had allegedly dedicated vehicles to themselves, but still claimed car allowances, were reported to the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC). However, according to the select committee, the witness alleged the response they got was that the CEO was beyond the reach of the law (akabopheki).