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MINISTER of Finance Majozi Sithole is in doubt the country will ever recover the E28 million Jet deposit from Bombardier owing to the twist and turns he has been subjected to.
He informed the Finance Committee headed by Lobamba Lomdzala MP Marwick Khumalo that he found himself in a very embarrassing situation.
As a result, the Finance Committee recommended that the House of Assembly resolve that a delegation be sent to meet Professor Whelpton, the Bombardier offices in Canada and DAFIN Company offices to meet with relevant executives there.
The delegation, it was recommended, should comprise three MPs and include the Minister of Finance.
The minister said the last time he met Professor Whelpton was in October last year at OR Tambo International Airport where the latter indicated funds were available but he needed to see His Majesty King Mswati III on the issue.
Professor Whelpton had said a certain donor was on the verge of giving Swaziland government a grant of E450 million with a view to assist towards improving education and health sector.
“However, the minister stated that he had not closed his file in this matter. He said he was open to suggestions in order to recover the money.
“After his submissions, the Committee noted that the whole thing had become a circus and integrity and or credibility of the characters involved was questionable.
“It is regrettable that the issue has centred on Minister Majozi Sithole alone yet many hands were involved when the E28 million was allegedly sourced from the consolidated funds without parliament’s approval.
“The fact that parliament pronounced itself on the matter that, inter-alia, the E28 million had to be recovered it then became a national issue not that of an individual,” the Finance Committee said.
DAFIN, the company that acted as an agent responsible for the sale of the aircraft, had requested the minister of finance to calculate interest which at the time amounted to E26 million.
amount due
Therefore, the total amount due to Swaziland government had been E54 million including the initial E28 million.
“He (Finance Minister) told the committee that the office of the Attorney General (Majahenkhaba Dlamini) had appointed a certain Professor Whelpton whose mandate was that of an agent that will act on behalf of Swaziland in negotiating for the return of the E28 million paid as a deposit.
“The minister informed the committee that he had met George Stander, a director of DAFIN who was a key player in the whole issue who also made an undertaking that the funds shall be repaid. However, there was another team led by Mr Steven Redman that dismissed George Stander and Professor Whelpton as being not well-placed to assist in recouping the funds since Mr Stander was no longer at DAFIN. Redman questioned the duo’s credibility,” said the report.
He informed the Finance Committee headed by Lobamba Lomdzala MP Marwick Khumalo that he found himself in a very embarrassing situation.
As a result, the Finance Committee recommended that the House of Assembly resolve that a delegation be sent to meet Professor Whelpton, the Bombardier offices in Canada and DAFIN Company offices to meet with relevant executives there.
The delegation, it was recommended, should comprise three MPs and include the Minister of Finance.
The minister said the last time he met Professor Whelpton was in October last year at OR Tambo International Airport where the latter indicated funds were available but he needed to see His Majesty King Mswati III on the issue.
Professor Whelpton had said a certain donor was on the verge of giving Swaziland government a grant of E450 million with a view to assist towards improving education and health sector.
“However, the minister stated that he had not closed his file in this matter. He said he was open to suggestions in order to recover the money.
“After his submissions, the Committee noted that the whole thing had become a circus and integrity and or credibility of the characters involved was questionable.
“It is regrettable that the issue has centred on Minister Majozi Sithole alone yet many hands were involved when the E28 million was allegedly sourced from the consolidated funds without parliament’s approval.
“The fact that parliament pronounced itself on the matter that, inter-alia, the E28 million had to be recovered it then became a national issue not that of an individual,” the Finance Committee said.
DAFIN, the company that acted as an agent responsible for the sale of the aircraft, had requested the minister of finance to calculate interest which at the time amounted to E26 million.
amount due
Therefore, the total amount due to Swaziland government had been E54 million including the initial E28 million.
“He (Finance Minister) told the committee that the office of the Attorney General (Majahenkhaba Dlamini) had appointed a certain Professor Whelpton whose mandate was that of an agent that will act on behalf of Swaziland in negotiating for the return of the E28 million paid as a deposit.
“The minister informed the committee that he had met George Stander, a director of DAFIN who was a key player in the whole issue who also made an undertaking that the funds shall be repaid. However, there was another team led by Mr Steven Redman that dismissed George Stander and Professor Whelpton as being not well-placed to assist in recouping the funds since Mr Stander was no longer at DAFIN. Redman questioned the duo’s credibility,” said the report.
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