By Zweli Martin Dlamini
Africa-Press – Eswatini. King Mswati is fully aware that,this country is struggling with cash flow challenges and his lavish or extravagant lifestyle is contributing to this unfortunate situation.
Cash flow problems in this context, occur when Government spends more money than the generated revenue, leading to difficulty in paying bills or meeting financial obligations and this, is exactly what is helping in this country.
But in the midst of this unfortunate situation, King Mswati used millions of public funds to travel to Ghana in search for witches(batsakatsi) to be used in performing rituals during the Incwala ceremony at the end of the year.
The King subsequently travelled to Spain to attend the International Conference on Financing Development and upon return, he informed the Nation that,he named a cow “Mbabane” saying that would market the country as the cow travels across Europe”.
It was very disappointing to note that, while emaSwati were expecting leadership or direction amid a serious health crisis thretening the existence of this Nation, the King was thrilled to name a Spanish cow-Mbabane.
Personally,I cannot entirely blame Cabinet regarding the health crisis because I’m fully aware that, Mswati is addicted to money, looting and witchcraft, traveling to Ghana and spending millions of public funds just to ‘interview’ witches for his own ritual beliefs while this country is in such crisis, was literally a demonstration that, he doesn’t care or is out of touch with reality.
Billions were stolen in the public coffers by Mswati and his alleged corrupt friend SwaziPharm Director Kareem Ashraff and, if the money was stolen, it means it’s no longer there.
Indeed, there’s a huge possibility that some of the billions are kept within the King’s ‘pockets’ because there was no way this Indonesian alleged corrupt thief could have stolen such huge amounts of money in this country without being arrested if, he was not receiving support, backing or protection from King Mswati who is above the law.
It is therefore unjust, for the King to put pressure on Cabinet or Health Minister Mduduzi Matsebula, where is the money to buy or supply the drugs in public hospitals?.
King Mswati must remember that we are not fools, we know exactly what is happening in this country, the King is rich but emaSwati are poor with no access to medical care.
As a Head of State, he cannot divorce himself from this health crisis, a Health Minister is too junior for this national crisis and it’s the King who must demonstrate leadership and allocate money for the supply of drugs in public hospitals and if need be, he must transfer all the billions he has been stealing, back to public coffers.
It is important to state that, we must provide Health Minister Mduduzi Matsebula all the necessary resources particularly, the money to buy drugs and then demand accountability or criticize him, what is happening now is a fallacy.
We can’t have a King who use millions of public funds to ‘interview’ witches in Ghana while emaSwati die in public hospitals but, he expects us to blame Health Minister Mduduzi Matsebula, the Member of Parliament(MP) from Siphocosini was not even in Cabinet at the time of the looting that triggered the health crisis.
Mduduzi Matsebula must only be blamed for uttering outright lies while emaSwati die in public hospitals, at some point, he was seen off-loading a few boxes saying drugs have been delivered, maybe he was under pressure.
But lies are just lies, whether you lie under oath, pressure or duress, lies must be discouraged and truth must be told so that, emaSwati “can make informed decisions in the midst of the health crisis”.
But what is of paramount importance now and, pending the arrest of SwaziPharm Director Kareem Ashraff and the other alleged multibillion drugs shortage thieves, is the allocation of a sufficient budget for the supply of drugs in public hospitals.
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