….PM finds that some powerful individuals are fighting against programs to curb corruption
BY MBONGENI NDLELA
ZULWINI – Prime Minister Russell Mmiso Dlamini has urged every Liswati to vigorously fight and expose acts of corruption to help the country achieve its desired development.
The premier revealed that he learned that there were powerful moneyed individuals who were currently working against Government by sabotaging all efforts put in place to fight corruption in the country. He disclosed that the corrupt cartels were using money to influence programmes aimed at fighting corruption in Eswatini. These individuals should be reported, as some were known, according to the premier.
Dlamini said this during an introduction meeting with the House of Assembly Portfolio Committee which operates under the Prime Minister’s Office. The meeting was held at the Sibane Sami Hotel today.
The Head of Government stated that he had learned with shock that corruption was too rife in the country to the point that there was a cartel that was only concerned with enriching itself, much to the frustration of the poor.
“So I plead with you as members of the House of Assembly Portfolio Committee to live a clean life, free from acts of corruption. Again, I urge every Liswati to expose the corrupt. We have police and the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), where all corrupt individuals can be reported to,” he said.
The PM continued to explain that a country free from corruption could easily achieve its desired goals. He said for the country to quickly develop, there was a serious need for everyone to fight corruption.
Dlamini stated that for the country to be able to fight corruption and achieve its development goals, it needed money.
“We need money to address all the challenges we have as a country. Let us grow the economy so that we can address all the issues affecting us as a country,” he said.
The PM then shared his expectations to officials in his office and parliamentarians.
He stated that being a Member of Parliament was a responsibility that should be taken seriously by all those in office.
He said being in the Portfolio Committee of the Prime Minister’s Office was even more important.
“We appreciate that we can meet and share our vision. But before I share this vision, it is important that as Members of Parliament, you must refuse to be lobbied for the wrong reasons. Refuse to be wrongly influenced by certain decisions. It is true that there are certain MPs that have made decisions that are wrong and voted for resolutions based on being lobbied and influenced wrongly in the past,” he said.
He continued: “My request is that decisions should be taken based on the value they will add to the country and on a high level of integrity – it does not matter who is lobbying, but wrong decisions must not be supported,” he said.
The premier told the committee members to be careful, as corruption has also been in Parliament in the past. “This brings me to the matter of corruption. It would be folly of me not to address this matter because it is a fact that corruption has crept into Parliament in the past. We must reject this. One way of rejecting this is exposing corruption when it happens.
Any person or company that wants to pay for you to support a certain decision must be exposed. This is important because it is not only costly for this country but, in some instances, it is deadly,” he said.
