By Musa Mdluli

MBABANE:Lieutenant Tengetile Khumalo, the Army Spokesperson is allegedly receiving some guidance and mentorship from one of the country’s remaining but highly experienced Spokesperson, Percy Simelane.

It has been disclosed that, before he leaves Office, the King’s Spokesperson “wants to recommend some highly skilled Public Relations Officers(PROs) to the King for possible appointment and Khumalo is allegedly among those secretly receiving guidance from the experienced Spokesperson”.

The King is alleged to have told those around him that he doesn’t want to read in the Swaziland News that a Spokesperson did not respond, he allegedly said; “usuke sewucashelweni kani nawungasaphendvuli ngoba phela umsebenti wakho kuphendvula and defend.Kukhona Spokesperson longaholela kubindza nje?”.

Alpheous Nxumalo was ‘removed’ as Spokesperson after he failed to defend Government and communicate a political narrative of the Tinkhundla system, Nxumalo tried to blame Percy Simelane for responding.

Even though Lieutenant Khumalo was allegedly advised by Simelane to respond to this Swaziland News, senior soldiers told this publication that, Army Commander Moses Mashikilisane Fakudze subsequently came hard on her warning the Spokesperson to stop responding to ‘Zwemart’.

This comes after editor Zweli Martin Dlamini exposed how Army Commander Moses Mashikilisane Fakudze forged his Identity Documents(IDs), reduced his age to avoid retirement.

But after that investigative story, Fakudze allegedly sent a senior soldier to deliver a command to the Army Spokesperson, directing her to stop responding.

Senior soldiers told this publication that the Army Commander was heard at Nokwane Army Headquarters speaking with frustration saying; 

“ngamtjela kutsi angamphendvula Zwemart kodvwa uyachubeka uyaphendvula”.

The source within the Army Executive Command said, at some point Lieutenant Khumalo said, she was waiting for the Army Commander to remove and transfer her “if it’s not part of her duties” to respond to the media.

“Actually, this is the fourth(4th) if not the fifth(5th) command stopping her but Lieutenant Tengetile Khumalo has been defying the Army Commander and respond to the Swaziland News. She was told again to stop after the fraudulent ID story but this week, we saw her responding, confirming the death of the soldier who committed suicide at Mbutfu. She allegedly told the senior soldier who was sent by the Commander that, she will respond and if the Commander is not happy, he must just transfer her”, said the senior source within the Army.

The alleged tension between the Army Spokesperson and Army Commander was allegedly triggered by the fact that, “Khumalo is among the senior soldiers mentored by former Commander Jeffery Shabalala, Fakudze has been persecuting all soldiers who were working with Shabalala thus dividing the Army”.

King’s Spokesperson Percy Simelane confirmed to this Swaziland News earlier that, in the next few years, the King will employ a new Spokesperson when he retires from Office but “he did not specifically mentioned Tengetile Khumalo as one of those PROs receiving mentoring or training”.

Percy Simelane has been the King’s trusted Spokesperson for some time now, he was allegedly recalled by the King while working as the Director of the State owned radio.

The King allegedly directed the then Prime Minister Sibusiso Barnabas Dlamini to transfer Spokesperson Macanjana Motsa and re-engage Simelane as Government Spokesperson.

But it remains to seen if the Army Commander will eventually remove and transfer the Army Spokesperson merely for responding to a publication that exposed him on allegations of corruption.

But royal sources told this publication that, the daughter of the late powerful Lubombo Regional Police Commander Agrippa Khumalo, “stands a huge chance to be engaged by the King’s Office as Percy Simelane’s Deputy for proper mentoring if removed by Mashikilisane”.