EX-POLITICIANS LINE UP FOR E54 MILLION

MBABANE – All politicians of the Ninth Parliament will benefit from an estimated E54 million as terminal benefits of Finance Circular No. 1 of 2010 as the payout process gets underway.

The former politicians could be paid an estimated E54 million as from today.
Earlier reports in the media had claimed that those who were either elected or appointed back into office might not be paid their terminal benefits through Finance Circular No. 1 of 2010.

Principal Secretary (PS) in the Ministry of Finance Khabonina Mabuza, in an interview said all politicians of the Ninth Parliament would be paid their terminal benefits using Finance Circular No. 1 of 2010.
“All politicians of the Ninth Parliament will be paid according to Finance Circular No. 1 of 2010.

“The politicians will be paid from tomorrow (today) depending on when the other ministries submit their packages,” Mabuza said.
The memorandum, released on Monday and distributed to the Secretary to Cabinet, all PSs, all HODs, Accountant General, Auditor General and Clerk to Parliament, instructed that Controlling Officers pay former politicians their terminal benefits as per the dictates of Section Seven (7) of Finance Circular No. 1 of 2010.

Mabuza further said accountants were to compute the packages of the former politicians and then liaise with the Director of Corporate Services and Supply Chain Management in the Ministry of Finance for verification and endorsement before submission to the Treasury Department for payment.

It is expected the Prime Minister will take home E1.5 million, followed by the Deputy Prime Minister with over E1.3 million. Cabinet ministers are to each take home E1.2 million while Members of Parliament will get over E 400 000 together with presiding officers and deputy presiding officers.

SWAYOCO president acquitted, discharged


MBABANE – President of the proscribed Swaziland Youth Congress (SWAYOCO) Bheki Dlamini was yesterday declared a free man after spending three years and eight months in jail.

This comes after he was acquitted and discharged by High Court Judge Esther Ota yesterday. You could hear a pin drop as Judge Ota read from the 145 page judgment.
Members of the proscribed entity who filled the High Court chanted ‘viva’ after the verdict was issued. Judge Ota warned them not to chant political slogans in the courtroom.

After Bheki was declared a free man there was a mini scuffle when Correctional Services officers wanted to shackle his feet after the judge had left the courtroom. Bheki resisted stating that he was now free as declared by the court. The officers explained they had to go with him to Sidwashini Correctional facility so he could fetch his belongings.

Bheki was arrested with Zonkhe Tradewell Dlamini, also a member of the banned entity, after they were linked to a string of bombings which occurred in different areas around the country in 2010. In her judgment, Judge Ota said the Crown had failed to prove its case beyond reasonable doubt against Bheki in respect of the three counts. “The second accused (Bheki) is found not guilty of the offences and he is accordingly discharged and acquitted,” she said.

They were both facing three counts of contravening Section 5(1) of the Suppression of Terrorism Act No.3 of 2008. His co- accused Zonkhe was, however, found guilty on all three counts.
Some of the people whose houses were petrol-bombed were the late Member of Parliament Bheki Mkhonta, Senior Superintendent Vusi Masuku and the late former Member of Parliament David Lion Shongwe. When the two were arraigned before court they pleaded not guilty to the charges against them. Thereafter the Crown paraded a total of 15 witnesses and tendered several exhibits to prove its case.

In his evidence Bheki alleged that he was assaulted by police officers and further informed the court that one of the police officers tied him facing upwards on a bench with a brown rope. He told the court his hands were cuffed beneath the bench and the rope was tied from his feet to his chest. “One police officer came with a plastic bag containing a red coloured tyre tube which had been cut to cover a person’s face. One Sergeant Mamba took the tyre tube and covered my nose and mouth with the intention of suffocating me,” he alleged.

Bheki, who was represented by Advocate Christopher Sihlali from South Africa, further alleged that Sergeant Mamba would press the tube against his nose and mouth several times and when he was about to lose consciousness the officer would release the tube. He told the court that it was a painful experience.

It was further Bheki’s submission that the reason for the suffocation was to make him admit he was responsible for the bombings committed around the country. He said one of the police officers, Assistant Superintendent Clement Sihlongonyane, was carrying a kettle of cold water which he would pour on him. Bheki alleged that the cold water was meant to keep him conscious.

Bheki alleged that when he maintained his innocence the police changed tactics and produced a white surgical glove which one of the police officers used to cover his mouth and nose. “They boasted particularly about the death of one Ntokozo Ngozo who was shot by the police and Sipho Jele who died at the remand centre,” he alleged.

He submitted that the police told him he would be one of the statistics if he did not admit the bombings. Judge Ota, however, ruled that there was no evidence that Bheki was tortured by the police upon his arrest.
The judge said there was no evidence to show that Bheki sustained any form of injury as a result of the alleged torture.  She said evidence of torture was proved by medical evidence.

“The second accused (Bheki) himself did not produce any medical evidence of any injury sustained as a result of the alleged torture.” The judge further noted that there was also no evidence to show that when Bheki was admitted to the Sidwashini Correctional Institution on June 18, 2010 health officers there observed and recorded any injuries due to the alleged torture.

Post your comment

Your name:

Your e-mail address:

Add your comments:

Please enter the code you see in the image:

Image:

Code: