Africa-Press – Eswatini. Maxwell Dlamini, the Deputy Secretary General of Eswatini’s main and largest political party, the People’s United Democratic Movement(PUDEMO) has released a statement on behalf of the political organization, condemning the over fourteen per-cent(14%) increase in electricity tariffs.
This comes after Sikhumbuzo Tsabedze,the Chief Executive Officer(CEO) of the Eswatini Energy Regulatory Authority(ESERA) announced the electricity increase this week that was applied for by the electricity company, public objection to the application was, as expected, completely ignored.
“PUDEMO is outraged at the shameless failure of the government and Parliament, which had previously promised to prevent this increase but have instead stood by helplessly as consumers are exploited. This exposes the powerlessness of Members of Parliament (MPs) in the Tinkhundla system-a fraudulent, toothless institution designed to give a false sense of democracy while serving the interests of the ruling elite. Instead of representing the interests of the people, Parliament has proven to be a mere rubber stamp for Mswati’s corrupt government, incapable of protecting ordinary citizens from corporate greed and exploitation”, he said.
The Deputy Secretary General said EEC, as a state-owned enterprise, has consistently prioritized profit-making over its fundamental duty of providing affordable electricity to the Swazi people adding that, over the years, the entity has become a cash cow for the ruling elite by charging exorbitant fees for new electricity connections thus making it nearly impossible for many poor households to access electricity.
“The company’s leadership has chosen greed over public service, rewarding itself with outrageous salaries, bonuses, and perks, all at the expense of the suffering masses.Despite generating massive profits year after year, EEC has failed to develop local power generation capacity and continues to rely on imported electricity from Eskom in South Africa.Instead of investing in energy security, these profits have been siphoned off into the pockets of the ruling elite. King Mswati III and his family continue to live lavishly, enjoying extravagant lifestyles while ordinary Swazis are forced to choose between buying food and paying for electricity,” reads the statement in part.
Khaya Mavuso, the Spokesperson of the Eswatini Electricity Company, declined to comment.
On another note, PUDEMO went on to accuse the EEC’s leadership of being deeply entrenched in corruption, using tender fraud and procurement irregularities to enrich themselves.
“Millions of emalangeni have been looted through kickbacks and inflated contracts, all while consumers are being forced to bear the brunt of these corrupt dealings.This latest tariff increase is nothing more than another scheme to generate more profits that will ultimately benefit a corrupt few while the majority of Swazis sink deeper into poverty. The conduct of EEC management and leadership is treasonous.They have become the enemies of the people, colluding with the regime to exploit and oppress the masses. The Swazi people overwhelmingly rejected this increase during the so-called consultation period, yet EEC arrogantly pushed it through, proving that these consultations were nothing but a charade,” said the Deputy Secretary General through the statement.
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