ARRESTED HOME AFFAIRS OFFICER: I’M BEING MADE SCAPEGOAT

MBABANE -“The people who made the misrepresentations are known and I am being made a scapegoat.”

These submissions were made by the officer of Home Affairs, who has been arrested in connection with the fraudulent activities in the ministry. Mboneni Nkosinathi Zwane, who according to police investigation was the alleged litchipin, is facing 25 charges.

Among other charges, it is alleged that in 2023, Zwane, acting jointly with others, stole five Eswatini Government passport books. He is also facing a charge of money laundering, in that, between or about the year 2021 to 2024, he unlawfully used money which had been obtained through illicit means.  When Zwane was arrested, he was reportedly found in possession of E30 000 cash. In his bail application, which is being met with resistance from the Crown, Zwane contended that he was not part of the people who were issuing passports and visas.

Misrepresentation

“The people alleged to have made the misrepresentation and allegedly produced the documents and exhibited them to the Ministry of Home Affairs, Immigration Department, are mentioned and/or disclosed in the charge sheet,” he argued. He told the court that he was innocent of the charges against him, in that he never acted with anyone to defraud the Ministry of Home Affairs or utilised money obtained through ill-gotten means. Zwane said the allegation of him having acted in common purpose with others, was incongruous. 

“I must bring it to the court’s attention that despite being employed by the Government of the Kingdom of Eswatini under the Ministry of Home Affairs, I am not responsible or under the department responsible for issuing visas within the ministry,” submitted Zwane. He brought it to the court’s attention that he was employed as assistant civil registrar, under civil registration, since January 2014. 

According to the accused, his duties entailed among other things, signing and authenticating birth, marriage and death certificates. It was further his argument that the likelihood of proving that he committed the offences he was charged with, was far-fetched, given that same was committed through the production of documents, which include visas.

Denied

“I was never at the Ngwenya Border Gate on the alleged dates which are subject of Count 1 to 9 and likewise, I was never at King Mswati III International Airport on the alleged dates which are subject to Count 15 to 21,” he argued. Zwane also denied to have produced birth certificates with the intention to have defraud as alleged in the charge sheet in respect of Counts 21 to 24. The accused went on to tell the court that it was devoid of the truth that he was part of the syndicate that was unlawfully issuing visas and passports.

“I further dispute the allegation pertaining to money laundering. This charge is unsubstantiated and one can glean that it is just a bare allegation. This equally applied to the allegations of theft, I never stole any passport and none was found in my possession,” submitted Zwane. In motivating his plea to be released on bail, he informed the court that he was responsible for the upkeep and wellbeing of four children, who were dependent on him.

He alleged that his continued incarceration would be prejudicial to them. It was further his submission that he was not a flight risk since he was born and bred in Eswatini with no other citizenship and his homestead was situated at Malindza in the Lubombo Region.

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