Madam,
The growing revelations of missing and unaccounted public funds should alarm every emaSwati. What began as isolated audit findings has now exposed a worrying pattern within government institutions, where millions continue disappearing while accountability remains painfully slow or completely absent.
The recent concerns surrounding unretired cash advances within the Deputy Prime Minister’s Office have once again forced the country to confront an uncomfortable truth: Eswatini is losing massive amounts of public money, while ordinary citizens continue suffering under economic hardship.
Finance Minister Neal Rijkenberg previously revealed that the country loses nearly E90 million every month to corruption, waste and financial inefficiency.
That figure is staggering. It means the country could be losing more than E1 billion annually, enough money to significantly improve hospitals, schools, roads, youth empowerment programmes and social welfare grants.
The question emaSwati are asking is simple: Why is it difficult to trace the money?
Taxpayers deserve answers because this is not private money belonging to politicians or government officials. It is public money collected from workers, struggling businesses and ordinary citizens who pay taxes with the hope that government will improve their lives.
Instead, audit reports continue to expose millions described as ‘unretired’, ‘unaccounted for’ or ‘missing’. Committees are formed, investigations are announced and officials appear before Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee, but very little is heard afterwards. The public rarely receives updates about arrests, recovered funds or convictions.
Following the investigations by these committees, how many officials have repaid the missing money?
How many people have been prosecuted and who exactly is responsible for recovering these funds?
These are legitimate questions citizens have every right to ask.
What makes the situation even more painful is that some of the missing funds are linked to departments responsible for assisting vulnerable citizens.
Money intended for elderly grants, social welfare programmes and public services cannot simply vanish while pensioners struggle to buy food and medication. Investigations are done and suddenly, no documentation is found to support cases in police stations and those implicated have died. What is really going on? There seems to be more than meets the eye.
At a time when unemployment remains high and many young people are losing hope, every cent matters. Rural communities continue battling poverty, while hospitals face shortages and schools require urgent improvement. Yet somehow, millions continue disappearing within the system. This creates a dangerous perception that there are different rules for ordinary citizens and powerful officials.
If a junior employee fails to account for workplace funds, disciplinary action follows immediately. If a small business owner fails to pay taxes, penalties are enforced quickly.
However, when millions disappear from public institutions, investigations often drag on for years without visible consequences.
That culture of impunity is destroying public trust. Eswatini cannot build a strong economy or attract serious investment if accountability remains weak. Investors want confidence in institutions, transparency in governance and assurance that public systems are functioning properly.
Corruption and financial mismanagement undermine national development and weaken confidence in government.
The country urgently needs stronger financial controls and real consequences for misconduct involving public resources. Audit findings should not become routine headlines that are forgotten after a few days.
They must trigger action. Government must strengthen internal auditing systems, improve procurement oversight and ensure that every department properly accounts for taxpayers’ funds. Parliament’s oversight role must also become more effective.
The Public Accounts Committee should not merely question officials. It must push for timelines, recovery processes and accountability measures. If money was stolen, it must be recovered.
If laws were broken, prosecutions must follow.
If negligence occurred, responsible officials must face consequences regardless of their positions.
Most importantly, government must begin communicating openly with the public regarding recovered funds and completed investigations. Transparency is necessary to restore confidence.
Citizens cannot continue hearing only about missing millions without hearing about solutions. The holes within the system must be closed before the country bleeds even more.
Corruption and financial mismanagement undermine national development and weaken confidence in government. (Courtesy pic)
