By Zweli Martin Dlamini

MBABANE:Thulisile Dladla,the Deputy Prime Minister(DPM) recently received over two hundred thousand Rands(R200,000.00) from businessman Kareem Ashraff, the multibillion alleged State capture thief who is implicated in the looting of public funds, resulting in the shortage of drugs in public hospitals.

Bank documents in possession of this Swaziland News suggest that, Ashraff allegedly used his alternative company Union Construction(Pty) Ltd to transfer large sums of money to the DPM’s personal bank account and referenced the monies as “donations”.

It has been confirmed through a separate investigation conducted by this publication that, Union Construction(Pty) Ltd is owned by Kareem Ashraff who is also the Director of Union Papers(Pty) Ltd.

Worth-noting, the Deputy Prime Minister’s bank statement analyzed by this investigative journalist suggests that, Dladla would then use the money paid by Ashraff and disguised as “donations” on her personal errands including building and developing her properties.

But close analyses of the bank transactions further suggest that, the relationship between Kareem Ashraff and the DPM dates back when Thuli Dladla was the Chairperson of the Parliament Public Accounts Committee(PAC).

As a result, Kareem Ashraff enjoyed immunity and was never summoned to appear before the PAC despite his alleged involvement in rampant corruption in the public administration particularly, in the alleged stealing of billions of public funds resulting in the shortage of drugs in public hospitals.

On or around 31st January 2022, Dladla received one hundred and seventy-six thousand, six hundred and forty-nine Rands, seventy-three cents(R176,649.73) cash deposit and on the very same day, another bank transfer of ten thousand Rands(R10,000.00) from Ashraff’s Union Construction(Pty) Ltd, again these monies were referenced as “donations”.

But the payments of large sums of money to the Deputy Prime Minister’s Nedbank account and from Ashraff, has been going on for the past years and continuing, Kareem Ashraff is currently controlling Cabinet and other State institutions and his close proximity with Prime Minister Russell Mmiso Dlamini is also a subject of a high level investigation by this publication.

An independent investigation conducted by this Swaziland News further uncovered that, another cash deposit of one hundred and twenty-one thousand, one hundred and nineteen Rands, sixty-six cents(R121,119.66) was recently deposited into the DPM account in what was suspected to be a money laundering bribery operation.

The financial documents of the DPM suggest that, Thulisile Dladla has been an alleged money laundering mastermind for sometime now, her dealings or association with Kareem Ashraff might not be widely visible in public but, huge amounts of monies are being transferred from Ashraff’s companies to her personal bank accounts.

Both Ashraff and the Deputy Prime Minister declined to comment about the matter.

Reached for comments by this publication, Wandile Dludlu, the Deputy President of the People’s United Democratic Movement(PUDEMO) said, Tinkhundla leaders remain unethical and compromised as the entire system is based on corruption and nepotism.

“Tinkhundla leaders remain unethical and compromised as the entire system is based on inherent corruption nepotism and favoritism,”said the PUDEMO Deputy President.