Swazi MPs demand govt’s ouster over missing funds

MBABANE – A prominent lawmaker in Swaziland, Africa’s last monarchy, sparked a parliamentary furore when he accused the government of siphoning off aid money and demanded its dismissal, reports said yesterday.

Marwick Khumalo, who was forced by King Mswati III to resign as speaker of parliament, created uproar in the house on Wednesday after a minister admitted that 50 million emalangeni (US$7,9 million) earmarked to help small businesses was found missing. “The entire cabinet should go home.We have no government.We should go back home and new people should be elected,” Marwick was quoted as saying in the independent Times of Swaziland and the royalist Swazi Observer daily.”Some of us have no problem with going home and if the people feel we deserve to return, they will elect us,” he said.His call was backed by another member of parliament, Henry Dlamini, who said top officials sat by silently as the public coffers were plundered.”It is shocking to hear the ministers …claiming that they could not help but watch as senior officials in the ministry of finance helped themselves to government funds,” Dlamini was quoted as saying.”Mr Speaker it is obvious that we no longer have a government in this country so it is proper that the cabinet be dissolved,” he said.There has been mounting criticism over the autocratic rule of Mswati who lives in luxury with 13 wives while most of the population struggles with abject poverty, food shortages, 45 per cent unemployment and high rates of HIV-AIDS.Khumalo had vociferously slammed the purchase of a jet by the king, whose extravagant lifestyle has raised eyebrows in Swaziland and overseas.Opposition parties are banned in the tiny mountain kingdom and there have been growing calls by the Commonwealth and other bodies that Swaziland should introduce multi-party democracy.- Nampa-AFP”The entire cabinet should go home.We have no government.We should go back home and new people should be elected,” Marwick was quoted as saying in the independent Times of Swaziland and the royalist Swazi Observer daily.”Some of us have no problem with going home and if the people feel we deserve to return, they will elect us,” he said.His call was backed by another member of parliament, Henry Dlamini, who said top officials sat by silently as the public coffers were plundered.”It is shocking to hear the ministers …claiming that they could not help but watch as senior officials in the ministry of finance helped themselves to government funds,” Dlamini was quoted as saying.”Mr Speaker it is obvious that we no longer have a government in this country so it is proper that the cabinet be dissolved,” he said.There has been mounting criticism over the autocratic rule of Mswati who lives in luxury with 13 wives while most of the population struggles with abject poverty, food shortages, 45 per cent unemployment and high rates of HIV-AIDS.Khumalo had vociferously slammed the purchase of a jet by the king, whose extravagant lifestyle has raised eyebrows in Swaziland and overseas.Opposition parties are banned in the tiny mountain kingdom and there have been growing calls by the Commonwealth and other bodies that Swaziland should introduce multi-party democracy.- Nampa-AFP