Lobamba Lomdzala Member of Parliament Marwick Khumalo says the credibility of the budget as a national budget is being challenged.
Khumalo made the remarks while moving for the adoption of the committee report in Parliament. He said ministers, who are part of Cabinet, often appear before the committee to make appeals and that the committee listens to them.
He said the office of the chief justice had written a letter complaining about not being taken care of, while the Constitution stated otherwise.
Khumalo said since MPs were custodians of the Constitution, they should ensure that it was respected. He added that the committee had asked the Minister of Justice to sit down with the Minister of Finance to ensure that the Judiciary was granted its independence.
“We are not here to look down on the Constitution,” he said.
Khumalo stated that Parliament had been appropriated E1.4 million for international engagements and the payment of subscriptions.
He also pointed out that in the 2026/2027 financial year there was money allocated for the e-Cabinet system, which had already been developed and whose service provider had already been paid.
“The committee resolved to effect a reduction of E5.799 million for this item,” he said.
Khumalo further revealed that E16 million had been allocated to the Ministry of Tinkhundla Administration and Development for regional integration, yet officials from the ministry were unaware of the allocation.
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He said when the minister was asked about the funds, he indicated that they had not requested them and still had pending projects that had not been allocated budgets.
“The minister of finance needs to ensure the credibility of this budget so that it is indeed a national budget and not hide money that does not respond to the needs of the people of this country. It is wrong and will create problems if things come from Cabinet like that and simply pass through. We will not keep quiet because these funds belong to the nation,” he said.
Khumalo said under the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development there was a reduction of E3.5 million, which had been directed to a Hlane Town Council, yet no such entity existed.
He explained that there was no town council in Hlane, yet E3 million had been allocated for it.
He said MPs wanted to understand the reasoning behind allocating funds to something that did not even exist.
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“We resolved to deduct E6.5 million from the E10 156 000 and place it in the contingency fund until the matter of the CEO was resolved. If this matter is resolved, we will then review the decision,” he said.
Khumalo also raised concerns about developments under the Ministry of Sports.
He noted that the country prides itself on the Somhlolo National Stadium, but the rehabilitation of the facility was now appearing to face delays similar to the International Convention Centre and Five-Star Hotel project.
He urged Cabinet to carefully review the budget and ensure it addressed the needs of the public rather than the interests of individuals.
“It is important for Cabinet to apply itself properly to the budget and ensure that it responds to the needs of the people rather than the interests of individuals,” he said.
