Monday, September 27, 2010

‘CORRUPT’ CANDIDATES STILL FREE

No legal action has been taken against candidates at Swaziland’s national election who are alleged to have engaged in corrupt practices.


Last week the Elections and Boundaries Commission (EBC) reported on a host of irregularities during the 2008 election, ranging from intimidation to bribery.


But it has emerged that even though the EBC had information about the identities of the accused, it did not contact the Swazi police or the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC).


The controversial EBC chair Chief Gija Dlamini refused to discuss the matter with the Times Sunday, an independent newspaper in Swaziland, claiming that he couldn’t do so until the report had been discussed by parliament.


In typical fashion, Chief Gija, who was widely criticised for his lack of experience when he was appointed to the EBC chair (he is an electrician, not a judge), did not say why he had to wait until parliament deliberated.


If information that a crime has been committed is available it should be passed on to the ACC and the police for action to be taken.


Because of the chief’s complacency the guilty may be walking free.

No comments: