By Zweli Martin Dlamini

MBABANE:Phetsile Masilela, the Junior Achievement(JA) Managing Director is under investigation for alleged mismanagement or stealing of donor funds allocated to support young people in the country, Board Chairman Meluleki Dlamini confirmed to this publication on Wednesday evening.

The Board Chairman who doubles as the Director of the Small and Medium Enterprise(SME) within the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Trade said, “the investigation is ongoing adding that,they were contacted by the international donors funding JA Eswatini after reading the Swaziland News story”, where Masilela was accused of misappropriating funds allocated for a youth project.

“As you know donors want transparency and accountability, we can confirm that there’s an ongoing investigation. After the Swaziland News, the donors engaged a South African audit company to conduct the investigation,” said the Board Chairman.

JA Eswatini Managing Director Phetsile Masilela when speaking to this publication earlier on the subject matter, denied looting the donor funds, blaming United States(US) President Donald Trump’s decision to suspend donor funding to Aftican countries including eSwatini.

Worth-noting, this publication subsequently gathered that, the donor funds that were a subject of the investigation were not affected by the US decision to suspend the donor funding but the money never reached the youth.

As a result, sources within Junior Achievement Board told this publication that so far, Masilela has failed to account for over thirty thousand Rands(R30,000.00) when questioned by the South African investigators from Mazara Forensic Auditors.

“The investigation is ongoing”, said a Board member whose name cannot be revealed for ethical reasons.

But the investigation comes after some youth members whose projects were approved by donors ended-up being sidelined yet the money was paid to JA Eswatini by the international donors.

The youth members subsequently approached this Swaziland News in January 2025 and an investigation was launched by this publication, after reading the article, donors responded by engaging a South Africa audit firm.