By Zweli Martin Dlamini
Africa-Press – Eswatini. Sifiso Khumalo,the Attorney General(AG) shocked Ministers during a Cabinet meeting when he told Prime Minister Russell Mmiso Dlamini that, he managed to retrieve the ‘dumping of dangerous criminals’ agreement he secretly signed with the United States without consulting the Office of the AG.
This comes after this publication exclusively reported that, the Attorney General has been blasting the Prime Minister since last week when the story of the deported criminals dominated the public discourse, attracting even the attention of the international media.
King Mswati’s Spokesperson Percy Simelane subsequently told that, the King was never involved in the signing of the agreement, he referred comments to Cabinet particularly, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
But on Tuesday this week during Cabinet meeting, the Attorney General was hard on the Prime Minister after discovering that, the agreement will result to the US dumping over one hundred and fifty(150) more dangerous criminals in the tiny Kingdom of eSwatini, with some linked to terrorist groups.
“I have the agreement now,” said the Attorney General during the Cabinet meeting but the PM dismissed his comments saying;
“There’s no way you can have that agreement, it’s highly confidential between me and the United States”.
But after AG Sifiso Khumalo produced the agreement, the Prime Minister was visibly shocked and, he subsequently adjourned the meeting saying he was rushing somewhere but, never came back to continue with the Cabinet meeting.
It has been disclosed that, the agreement is binding eSwatini to accept more dangerous criminals from the US some who are linked to known terrorists groups, the United States will then pay eSwatini for accepting the dangerous criminals who were rejected by their respective countries.
Acting Government Spokesperson Thabile Mdluli released a statement clarifying the issue, she said such “agreements are done with meticulous care” and consideration.
“The Kingdom of Eswatini and the United States of America have enjoyed fruitful bilateral relations spanning over five decades. As such, every agreement entered into is done with meticulous care and consideration, putting the interests of both Nations at the forefront”, reads the Government statement in part.
But even on this particular statement, the Attorney General was allegedly not consulted as he expressed this on the Cabinet Whatsap group last week Wednesday before the meeting that took place on Tuesday this week.
“All agreements,treaties,conventions or documents by whatever name called can not be concluded without the Attorney General in terms of Section 77 of the Constitution”, the Attorney General wrote in the Cabinet Whatsap Group communication leaked to editor Zweli Martin Dlamini.
Prime Minister Russell Mmiso Dlamini subsequently left the country this week to attend the Global Wetlands Summit in Zimbabwe.
For More News And Analysis About Eswatini Follow Africa-Press
