Africa-Press – Eswatini. Deputy Prime Minister(DPM) Thulisile Dladla is allegedly incubating corruption within her National Disaster Management Agency(NMDA), building material that was donated to assist emaSwati at Ngculwini and other areas was allegedly stolen by Government officials in collusion with the DPM.
Part of the building material was kept at Matsapha Eswatini Red Cross Stores however,the DPM with the Red Cross and NDMA officials, visited the areas affected by the hailstorm with a mere tent and took pictures that were then sent to donors to request more donations.
The building material donated in response to the natural disaster, was subsequently stolen and the DPM is allegedly complicit to the theft.
When the Deputy Prime Minister earlier last year after receiving complaints from the Ngculwini residents, she promised to make a follow-up but subsequently disappeared.
The NDMA officials are alleged to have not only colluded with the DPM in the alleged stealing of the building material but also, in collusion with Danger Nhlabatsi, the then Red Cross Director who was subsequently suspended on allegations of fraud and corruption after being exposed by this independent online publication.
But on Wednesday this week, the Deputy Prime Minister through Acting Government Spokesperson Thabile Mdluli, released a press statement where she vigorously denied her alleged involvement in the stealing of donated rice from international partners.
Worth-noting, thousands of emaSwati are struggling without food and the storm victims whose names were registered for assistance were subsequently dumped despite the fact that, money and other resources were donated by international partners to assist emaSwati.
“The Government of the Kingdom of Eswatini strongly denounces media reports alleging that Deputy Prime Minister Hon. Thulisile Dladla, and officials of the National Disaster Management Agency(NDMA) colluded with external parties to misappropriated donated food”, reads the press statement in part, released after exposing the selling of rice by Asian shops.
It is alleged that, the DPM and her officials do not only steal the building material to construct own homes but, have secret dealings with Asians who buy the food from the DPM’s Office and then sell within their shops.
This publication published pictures of the donated food sold by the Asians and this, includes rice and beans with the national logo and Japan flag.
Eswatini has about 70% of the population living below the poverty line and, Government officials and high profile individuals with close proximity to the Monarchy “are allegedly using the plight of the people for self-enrichment”.
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