By Zweli Martin Dlamini
Africa-Press – Eswatini. Tourism and Environmental Affairs Minister Jane Mkhonta-Simelane frustrated the awarding of a license to eBet for months and, the investors were on the verge of closing as their business was collapsing.
Perhaps after being advised by their lawyer Sibusiso Shongwe who is an alleged expert in corruption and money-laundering, the investors donated over R2million to the Minister but through the Municipal Council of Mbabane.
The money was donated as if it will benefit citizens through social programs within Mbabane West Inkhundla where the Minister is a Member of Parliament(MP) and therefore, this bribe disguised as a donation was for her own benefit.
The question is how and the answer is; the Minister will have double benefit in that, while part of the money goes to her pocket through the manipulation of the disguised social projects, she is campaigning for elections with this money to strengthen his position as a MP, a position that deposits over fifty thousands Rands(R50,000.00) months into her pockets.
Some MPs are saving part of their salaries to fund campaigns in the next elections but, this Minister through abuse of power and/or corruption, is already enjoying a surplus of over R2million.
Recently, we published a story blasting the Minister for undermining Parliament and in one of the articles, we quoted MP Marwick Khumalo who shared his views and criticized the Minister purely on political issues while sharing his experience in politics and Parliament procedures, MP Khumalo was not personal to the Minister but political.
It is important to warn the Minister that, if it’s the political culture of Cabinet to twist genuine issues of public interest and, label those who question Ministers on allegations of wrong-doing as “members of a cabal” then she must not try that nonsense with this publication.
The Tourism and Environmental Affairs Minister rushed to the Swazi Observer claiming there’s a cabal seeking to remove her from Office, I hope she was referring to the eBet cabal that bribed her with over R2million disguised as a donation to release the gambling license.
I was the one who was vigorously reporting about the eBet struggle to secure the gambling license and, the fight between 8bet and eBet.
The Tourism and Environmental Affairs Minister is new in politics and we have been here reporting news for the past twenty(20) years, if she doesn’t know the meaning of a cabal, then we will lecture her and even produce financial or bank transactions substantiating that she is corrupt to the core.
As a result, the Tourism and Environmental Affairs Minister must refrain from labelling genuine political reporting as a ‘cabal reporting’, if she wants more information about the R2million she received from eBet, then she must continue accusing politicians and independent journalists who question her purely on political issues as members of a cabal.
It is duty of MPs to question Cabinet Ministers and journalists are within their duties when reporting news.
The Tourism and Environmental Affairs Minister received over R2million from eBet at the time when she was about to take a decision whether to renew the license or not, this was a violation of the Prevention of Corruption Act particularly because, some of us can traced this money directly to her pockets.
The Minister abused her powers and frustrated investors who were genuinely doing business in this country until they made the so called donations to her Mbabane West Inkhundla.
I am not sure if Mbabane Chief Executive Officer(CEO) Gciniwe Fakudze and Mayor Thulani Mkhonto were aware of this political game but, there’s a high possibility that the Mbabane Municipality was used as a conduit for this money-laundering and bribery without the administrators of the town noticing.
It is the Tourism Minister who is part of a corrupt cabal, she abused her powers and frustrated investors thus thretening the jobs of hundreds of emaSwati so that, she can cash R2million.
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