MPS PAY OVER E1 000 ‘LUNCH’ FOR GOVT GRADERS

MANZINI – The fuel shortage faced by government has forced some Members of Parliament (MPs) to offer ‘lunch’ worth over E1 000 just to have gravel roads refurbished in their constituencies. 

The legislators engaged by this publication claimed that following the recent rains, many gravel roads were eroded and needed revamping. This, they said, had coerced them to compromise their integrity and act in ways that were frowned upon by the Prevention of Corruption Act of 2006.

The high collection of rainfall happened at a time when government, for almost a quarter of a year, was faced with fuel challenges. 

Shortage

The fuel shortage is so serious such that even the Ministry of Health raised concerns that emergency vehicles were grounded and not transporting patients and personnel during crisis situations.

Due to this shortage of fuel, some MPs have claimed that they have been forced to offer bribes under the guise of ‘lunch’ money to have roads within their constituencies attended to.

These legislators claimed that this was because ignoring the request for lunch meant that their requests would not be attended to. Some of the MPs further said they had been refuelling government’s heavy plant in order to have roads in their various constituencies refurbished. 

The legislators claimed that they were paying as high as E2 200 to buy 110 litres of diesel used in the refuelling of the graders.

One of the legislators, Matsanjeni South Constituency MP Bomber Mamba said they (legislators) were facing a challenge with the road network as the rainfall would be in surplus. He said given the shortage of fuel, government graders were not maintaining the gravel roads and this resulted in the public looking to them to do something.

This, he said, resulted in some of them approaching the depots where the plant was kept, to request that the roads be attended to. Mamba said when they made this request, they were usually informed that the plant was available but there was no diesel.

“We are made to pay for this service by either refuelling the graders or sometimes forced to pay the personnel to give the service,” he said.

Assistance

The legislator said the challenge came in the fact that when one did not do something, the electorate would think they were not of assistance. Mamba bemoaned that at times, it was not even that there was no diesel; but according to him, the personnel needed money.

He said the money offered besides procuring the diesel ranged between E1 000 and E1 500. This money, he claimed, was sent through facilities that promoted mobile banking.

Raising the same challenge was Somntongo Constituency MP, Dumisani Mbhamali. He said the shortage of fuel was countrywide and if one needed the roads to be refurbished, he or she needed to buy a drum of diesel.

He acknowledged that government did not want them to buy diesel; however, due to the demands posed by the poor state of the road in the country, they ended up buying the diesel.

“The public needs the road to be in a better condition,” Mbhamali said.

The legislator could not confirm nor deny the issue of bribes said to be demanded by some personnel responsible for the operation of graders; however, he claimed to offer them lunch.

Also oblivious to the allegations of bribes demanded by some of the employees responsible for operating graders was Nkilongo Constituency MP, Timothy Myeni.

Network

Instead, just like his counterpart from Somntongo Constituency, Myeni said he could offer those operating graders lunch if he wanted to. 

To date, the legislator claimed, no person had requested lunch from him in order to render government services. On the other hand, he noted that the challenge of an impenetrable road network was countrywide. 

Also, Shiselweni II Constituency MP Strydom Mpanza said government had not bought fuel in almost three months but despite this, he had not purchased any fuel for government automobiles and would not do so. 

He said this was because it was against government policies. In spite of the policies, Mpanza said the challenges in relation to road infrastructure were there for everyone to see.

“The road linking Mahamba and Manzini is filled with large potholes and they are not attended to; that says a lot,” Mpanza said.

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