QUARRY SAGA: BACEDE'S BID TO REMOVE ARMY

LOBAMBA -– A motion calling for the army to remove its personnel from a private  farm in Sicunusa within 24 hours failed yesterday as MPs said it had nothing to do with the passing of the budget.

The motion had been moved by Hosea MP Mduduzi Baceth Mabuza during the adoption of the Ministry of Defence and National Security annual budget report. MP Mabuza is Interestingly the Chairperson of the ministry’s portfolio committee. MP Mabuza said he had decided to make another recommendation to the report because the Ministry had not responded satisfactorily to why the army had been deployed on Farm 982 at Sicunusa which belonged to a private citizen cited as Mkhaliphi.

Instead he said the Defence ministry had mentioned that it had occupied the farm because they had been asked by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Energy. He said this was clearly not even a command issued by the Army Commander or its Commander in Chief. He said Mkhaliphi was a private citizen and that the army was tasked with concentrating on war not intimidating members of the public.

However, deputy Chairperson of the ministry’s portfolio committee Maphalaleni MP Mabulala Maseko and another committee member appointed MP Chief Kusa Dlamini submitted that they did not agree to this latest recommendation especially since they had not debated it at committee stage. Other MPs encouraged MP Mabuza to come back to the House with a motion as he had made a valid point, but highlighted that the army’s budget should not be affected by this issue.

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