The funds deposited by the United States (US) government for deportees are now E7 million short.
This was revealed by the Finance Committee in its report on the Supplementary Appropriation Bill No. 2 of 2026, which was tabled and adopted in the House of Assembly yesterday.
In its findings, the committee stated that the funds for deportees, amounting to USD 5.1 million (E89 million), were now short by E7 million.
The committee disclosed that there was currently E82 million in the private account where the funds were deposited instead of the E89 million. The committee further noted that the funds had not yet been transferred to the Government Consolidated Fund, contrary to a resolution of the House.
Chairperson of the committee and Lobamba Lomdzala Member of Parliament (MP) Marwick Khumalo said the Finance Committee had recommended that the money be deposited into the Government Consolidated Fund and be managed like all other government funds.
He said the amount had been gazetted as E82 million, but when the committee enquired whether it had been deposited into the Consolidated Fund, they were informed that it had not.
He added that the money remained in a private account. He said at the time of being deposited and conversion, the funds amounted to E89 million, but there was now a variance of E7 million, which the committee wanted accounted for.
“We want to know how this money was used because the minister of economic planning stated that the US government had instructed that the funds should not be touched.
The funds were supposed to be deposited into the Consolidated Fund, and we assumed they had not been used. However, the minister will write another letter to the National Disaster Management Agency (NDMA) to transfer the funds today, in line with the House resolution,” he said.
He added that they were complying with the law, as the matter had been formalised through a gazette from the office of the attorney general.
RELATED | US deportees receiving E500 allowance each
Mafutseni MP Sabelo Mtetwa said since the House would want answers regarding the missing E7 million, the Finance Committee should investigate how the funds were used.
He said they would determine whether the money was used within government or misappropriated.
Lobamba MP Michael Masilela said the committee should investigate the whereabouts of the E7 million. He added that the investigation should begin by establishing why the funds from the US were deposited into a private account.
He said the committee should then present a report and outline how the money would be reimbursed, including a clear timeframe.
Hhukwini MP Alec Lushaba said the House had directed the minister of finance and the auditor general to investigate what had transpired regarding the funds. He added that the Finance Committee also wanted to establish how the money had been used.
“We want to investigate how the funds were used while they were not in the Consolidated Fund and whether they were used for the intended purpose,” he said.
Ngudzeni MP Charles Ndlovu said the funds were initially deposited as E89 million, but had since reduced to E82 million. He said investigations would determine whether the E7 million had been used appropriately.
Meanwhile, in its report, the committee recommended that a thorough investigation be conducted into how the E7 million was spent. It also supported the decision for the Minister of Finance Neal Rijkenberg to write to NDMA requesting that the funds be transferred to the Government Consolidated Fund forthwith, in line with the House resolution.
