Africa-Press – Eswatini. Prime Minister(PM) Russell Mmiso Dlamini is allegedly plotting to remove Information, Communication and Technology(ICT) Minister Savannah Maziya and four(4) other Ministers for opposing him during Cabinet meetings.
Constitutionally,the PM is the Chairman of Cabinet who is expected to preside over meetings and submit to collective decisions of Cabinet not to impose.
It has been disclosed that, the Prime Minister shared his frustration to King’s Advisory Council-Liqoqo Chairman Paul Dlamini who had gone to report that, Minister Savannah Maziya had refused to appear before the Council to be questioned why she removed Vumile Dlamini, the Chief Executive Officer(CEO) of the Royal Science and Technology Park(RSTP) amid the widely reported over R100million fraud and corruption scandal.
“The Chairman was very angry and felt undermined by the Minister,he then made efforts to see Prime Minister Russell Dlamini who said he was also having challenges in controlling Minister Savannah Maziya and if he can get the King’s approval, he can fire her together with four(4) other Ministers who are opposing him in Cabinet”, said a royal insider.
Government Spokesperson Alpheous Nxumalo declined to comment about the matter.
But King’s Spokesperson Percy Simelane clarified that, both Cabinet and Liqoqo are King’s Advisory Bodies and the Chairpersons communicate decisions taken during meetings to the King.
The King’s Spokesperson he said he was not aware of the alleged plot by the PM to lobby Liqoqo to advice the King on the removal of the ICT Minister and other four(4) Cabinet Ministers and what might been happening behind the scenes.
“My experience is that both Liqoqo and Cabinet are the King\’s advisory bodies.They are headed by Chairpersons who through whom both transmit decisions taken during their meetings. I am not familiar with the lobying in question. I therefore have no baseline from which to project the ultimate end result of the alleged shuffling of feet behind the scenes”, said the King’s Spokesperson.
It has been disclosed that, the Prime Minister complained that, the Cabinet was divided as some Ministers “were refusing to take orders from him” despite the fact that, he is the Prime Minister in charge of Cabinet.
In his direct words, a source close to the matter told this publication that the PM said “akusebenteki lana labantfu abafuni kungilalela kani ngimi Ndvunakhulu”.
ICT Minister Savannah Maziya has been objectively opposing the PM in Cabinet, she first stopped Prime Minister from regulating the media, Russell Mmiso Dlamini was seeking to silence the press while the Minister was promoting its independence.
The Information Minister further removed Science and Technology Park CEO Vumile Dlamini despite an alleged royal influence stopping the removal.
But another royal insider told this publication that, it might be difficult for the Prime Minister to convince the King to remove any Cabinet Minister at this juncture as the King was still monitoring if the very same PM is capable of leading the Government.
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