Africa-Press – Eswatini. A padlock worth E200 000 was allegedly procured for E2 million for the under-construction International Convention Centre and Five Star Hotel (ICC-FISH) in Ezulwini.
The startling allegations surfaced during the annual budget performance report and budget debate by the Senate Portfolio Committee of the Ministry of Economic Planning and Development in Senate. This was after the Minister of Economic Planning and Development, Dr Tambo Gina, in his preamble, urged the ministry’s portfolio committee to approve E268 040 849 recurrent budget and E1 992 181 000 capital expenditure of which E1.1 billion was for the completion of the ICC by December this year.
Approved
Even though as the senators approved the budget, they told the minister that they would be watchful and strongly urged him to monitor the funds for the project. They alleged that there was a misappropriation of funds in several parts of the project. One of the alleged corrupt activities was said to have occurred during the procurement of some of the equipment that was used on the site.
Senator Lindiwe Ngwenya said before procurement was approved, prices needed to be observed if they indeed fit the item that was procured. The senator told the minister and other senators that she heard from one of the officers that a padlock that was worth E200 000 was allegedly procured for E2 million. She alleged that the money went into certain people’s pockets. The type of the padlock was not specified.
Senator Ngwenya alleged that junior officers were forced by some senior staff to mark up or charge exorbitant fees for some of the equipment used at the ICC. “We will approve the budget but the question is, will all the funds be utilised appropriately? Let us make sure that the prices are being observed and not inflated. We have heard that other junior officers like the quantity surveyor assigned in the project were overruled to sign for the procurement of a padlock at the cost of E2 million when in fact the cost was E200 000,” she alleged.
The senator said as long as there was poor monitoring of funds, the ICC would not be completed this year and the ministry would be asking for more funds in the next financial year. She alleged that the corruption at ICC also involved high-ranking senior government officials and it was unfair to the taxpayer, because they funded the budget. She said if the swindling of funds continued at the ICC, the future generations would pay debts that benefitted a few fat cats.
This was not the first time the ICC was the centre of discussion for alleged corruption. Members of Parliament (MPs), during the annual performance report and budget debate of the Ministry of Economic Planning and Development, also alleged that items that were supposed to be used in the construction of the ICC&FISH were looted, same with the allocated funds.
One MP alleged that trucks full of cement were seen leaving the site in Ezulwini to be delivered to people’s homes. One of them even told the minister that he could show him a completed house that was allegedly built with looted material meant for the ICC.
Response
Minister Gina, in response to the allegations, said: “As a ministry, we are not aware of such practice in the project and the ministry is not in support of such activity. The responsible quantity surveyor should come and report such malpractice. The ministry will enquire about this issue further.”
The minister acknowledged that the project was not completed within the allocated timelines and that spending on it had increased, because government ran out of funds in the process. Gina said if there were enough funds, the project would have been completed within the allocated budgets.
When completed by December 2024, and if managed well, this project should give the country 0.25 per cent growth in GDP in 2025 and 0.75 per cent GDP growth in 2026 and 2027.
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