By Zweli Martin Dlamini

MBABANE: Pholile Dlamini-Shakantu, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation has been questioned by Finance Minister Neal Rijikernberg for alleged over expenditure.

It has been disclosed that, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs spent over R500million on international trips and the Finance Minister expressed serious concerns during a Cabinet meeting, citing abuse of public funds.

But an investigation conducted by this Swaziland News uncovered that, the bone of contention was the Ministry of Finance’s failure to engage when drafting the Foreign Affairs budget, resulting to essential travels allocated less money while unessentials receive more millions.

As a result, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs allegedly used money allocated for other budget items to honor international invitations that remain significant in maintaining the country’s diplomatic relations with other countries, some of the monies were re-allocated to fund travels for important international meetings.

But information gathered by this publication further suggests that, between the 2019-20 and 2020-21 financial year, the budget for international trips was not used as COVID-19 restricted travels, the Ministry of Finance decided to draft future budgets for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs based on previous expenditure thus drastically reducing the budget allocation.

“It’s not about over expenditure or the Foreign Affairs Minister but the budgeting itself. The Ministry of Finance is currently reducing Government expenditure but the budgeting process or system they are using promotes what might appear as over expenditure yet it’s actually re-allocation. They prepare future budgets based on previous expenditure, so the issue here is not about the Foreign Minister’s over expenditure, it’s the budgeting itself. You can’t prepare a budget without consulting the relevant Ministry to discuss the budgeting items, that’s why you find re-allocations because they pump-in more money on nonessential items and then, allocate less to essential items. When drafting a budget, you consult the relevant Ministry to understand the priority items,” said a Government official.

Acting Government Spokesperson Thabile Mdluli declined to comment about the matter.

But King Mswati’s Spokesperson Percy Simelane clarified that, the King through his Office “uses his own budget” for traveling. 

“The King's Office runs on its own budget which is allocated to it by Government every Fiscal Year. International travel costs, however are managed jointly by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the King's  Office,” said the King’s Office.

It has been disclosed that, Finance Minister Neal Rijikernberg recently criticized Foreign Affairs Minister Pholile Dlamini-Shakantu for over expenditure, over R500million was allegedly spent on international trips.