Manyeveni folk E29m in bank while youth live in poverty

M– News that E29 million meant to improve the lives of youth is safely stored in a bank account while they starve is causing confusion to the youth of poverty stricken Manyeveni, near Mpaka.

The unemployed youth have conceived business and income generating projects which, they are convinced, could help rescue them and their families from the pangs of hunger. Emanyeveni is a Lowveld area with little prospects of crop production, but high propensity for animal rearing, such as goat farming and other art-related projects.

When Eswatini News visited the area this week, three related youths Sipho Dlamini (25), Calvin Tsabedze (34) and Mncedisi Tsabedze (30), were found jointly eating on unsweetened sour porridge from a pot at about noon. “This is our lunch, because we do not have money to afford a proper balanced diet such as starch and protein,” Mncedisi said, while his cousins concurred.

The three said they had ideas on running a poultry and piggery project, only if they could be supported financially. “While pursuing menial jobs to survive, I have assisted a local resident who ran a poultry project. I now think I have full understanding of this industry and believe I can be successful if only I would get the assistance I need,” said Mncedisi.

He said the business would require an investment of about E10 000 in that he had to get a water tank, enough starter and broiler mash and chicks to kick-start his business. “There is a spare hut

Former President Thabo Mbeki said some emaSwati are cashing in on SA social grants.

lar were already collecting grants in SA monthly with fake IDs and going back to their countries.

Mbeki charged that many Africans had a legitimate claim for being in SA, having contributed to the liberation struggle against apartheid.

For instance, he said, the Nigerian Government, as part of its input, had done crowdfunding among ordinary Nigerians for the ANC’s fight against apartheid. “Part of the reality here is that you have many people crossing from Eswatini into SA to collect grants. It is the same for Lesotho,” said Mbeki.

Sipho Dlamini, Calvin and Mncedisi both Tsabedze want to operate businesses at Manyeveni, but lack the essential resources. They were found eating unsweetened sour porrige for lunch.

here at home, which I can convert into a chicken shed. I believe I can come out of poverty within three months,” he said.

Dlamini, his cousin also said he could start a successful piggery project because he had some degree of technical knowledge of the industry.

noThing

Responding to questions on why they were not taking advantage of the Youth Enterprise Revolving Fund, which had E29 million set aside for them, they said they had made several efforts to get the attention of the inkhundla authorities, but their ideas were unsuccessful. “Those people always tell us that we would be considered at a later stage, but nothing happens. We are aging while sitting at home,” Calvin said.

Enjabulweni Bucopho Nhlanhla Zubuko, said it was true that some youths had applied to tap into the Youth Enterprise Fund, but most were found not qualifying for the loans. “The youth are quick to lose heart.

“Now, do you want to put an electric fence there to stop those people coming? These are foreign nationals who are coming to take your grants. SA has got to be bigger than that,” he said.

Mbeki said SA has always been ‘the engine of the transformation of the continent for the better’ and benefit of all Africans.

Mbeki went on to say: “We have had a SADC agreement which provides for free movement of people as part of that process of integration. The African continent has a similar protocol which addresses the same thing - free movement

“When you tell them to go back and fetch this and that to go along with the application they go away and never come back. We understand that some of them eventually find jobs while others get married, but we are worried that they always leave their applications hanging,” he said.

He said there were other youths who wanted to operate a tent and chairs hire business, but they had also vanished after they were sent to comply with certain requirements.

The Auditor General Timothy Matsebula, in his compliance Audit Report, raised concern recently that E29 million meant for the youth had not been utilised. The money was meant to be distributed by the Eswatini National Youth Council (ENYC), which, however, said it had gathered that most applicants of the loans lacked capacity to run the businesses. The council said efforts were being made to capacitate the youth before extending the loans to them.

of people. Does SA say, ‘please move freely among yourselves except here’? Then SA ceases to be part of the African continent which I do not think should happen.”

Mbeki said he did not believe South Africans were xenophobic. According to him, the so called ‘xenophobic attacks’ that have rocked the country on several occasions were sponsored by sinister forces that feel threatened by the economic prowess of the foreign nationals in the country, especially in the informal economy.

TransformaTion

“We see ourselves, certainly from the ANC side, as an important engine for the transformation of the continent for the better. When the rest of the continent helped us during our struggle against apartheid, the hope was exactly that, that a liberated SA will be in the front ranks in terms of the transformation of the continent for the better.

“You cannot play that role and be respected by the whole continent and then define yourself as somebody whose main task is to chase away foreign nationals. It is a contradiction. If the government here tried to build a wall and electrify border fences to keep away foreign nationals, it would not work, people would still come,” he said.