Š‹–”‘‹’‰Šˆ”‹†‡‡‹œ‡‰Ǧ„•‡Šƒ‹–‘†”•

LOBAMBA – Senators told officials from the Ministry of Labour and Social Security to stop hiding behind the hiring freeze but they should do their job diligently.

The senators made reference to the ministry’s annual reports, debates and constant strikes by students, among other issues. This was during the annual performance report and 2023/2024 financial year budget debate by senators.

One of the senators who spoke boldly about the ministry’s unpleasant performance and reports was Senator Alberto Samuels. The senator noted that there were a number of services that were lagging behind in the ministry.

Previous

He noted that looking at the previous quarterly and annual reports of the ministry, they were almost similar. He stated that there were a number of projects that remained incomplete. He stated that the reports in the previous reporting periods showed one and the same thing.

He noted page 14 of the annual performance report, that stated that there was E4 million for refurbishment of Nhlangano and Malkerns vocational centres. He asked at what stage were these particular projects at. He noted that it stated that the funds were transferred to Micro-Projects, but there were no percentages of the stages they were at.

“If I do recall, last year we had the same project, so it seems it is an ongoing thing. I’m not even sure if it is a cut and paste,” he said.

Samuels said it seemed like they were being told one and the same thing in all the ministry’s reports. He said it was either the reports were poorly prepared or some people were not doing their job. The senator said what the ministry was doing was a disservice to the King, because he expected the people he trusted with the job to do it effectively. He said five years later, the ministry had repeated one and the same thing.

“I am sure we can go back five years we will find the same responses to what we have been given today,” he said.

He also highlighted that a number of responsibility areas in the ministry were not completed or were lagging behind. Samuels said he noted that for every incomplete task, the ministry cited shortage of human resources. He wondered how long the ministry would use that card to hide behind incompetence.

“Stop hiding behind the hire freeze for not doing your job,” he said.

Rubber

Senator Tony Sibandze also stated that the minister was making them rubber stamps. He mentioned that there were three crucial Bills that were sitting with the ministry which had not made it to Parliament, yet they were crucial to the lives of emaSwati.

“There is too much back and forth with the Bills,” he said.

Sibandze also highlighted that since they came to Parliament, the minister of Labour and Social Security had been giving them similar answers about the status of the Eswatini National Provident Fund (ENPF) conversion Bill.

The senator also mentioned that even the status of the national unemployment scheme or that of insurance which was still in limbo and the ministry was going around in circles. “The last time we asked about the social protection insurance, we were told it was with the Attorney General’s (AG) Office and would soon be in Parliament. A year later, we are still given one and the same answer,” he said.

The chairperson of the portfolio committee in the House of Senate Sylvia Mthethwa also raised concerns about the responses they kept getting from the minister regarding the conversion Bill.

Minister Phila Buthelezi was represented by the Minister of Public Service Mabulala Maseko.