The taxpayers of Eswatini are set to foot a monthly bill exceeding E4.7 million to cover the salaries of members serving on various advisory councils. This staggering sum, revealed in a legal notice titled “The Prescription of Statutory and Allowances of Emabandla, Commissions and Boards Notice, 2024,” issued by Minister of Finance Neal Rijkenberg, excludes additional allowances paid to office bearers, potentially escalating the figure to over E5 million monthly.

According to calculations based solely on basic salaries, the taxpayer will spend approximately E4,791,007 each month over the next five years to remunerate members of these advisory councils. The breakdown reveals significant expenditure across several councils, with the Liqoqo, Ludzidzini Council, and the Border Restoration Committee among the highest-costing entities.

The Liqoqo, comprising 23 members including the chairperson, commands a monthly salary cost of E1,196,686, while the Ludzidzini Council, with 17 members, demands E890,062 monthly. Similarly, the Border Restoration Committee, boasting 14 members, will incur E728,233 in monthly salaries alone.

Additionally, various other advisory councils, including the Royal Board of Trustees, Elections and Boundaries Commission (EBC), Civil Service Commission (CSC), Teaching Service Commission (TSC), Citizenship Board, Land Management Board (LMB), and Minerals Management Board (MMB), will collectively cost taxpayers between E289,590 and E264,038 monthly.

The legal notice also outlines increases in salaries and benefits for office bearers. Chairpersons of key councils such as the Liqoqo, EBC, and Ludzidzini Council, will now earn an annual total of E1,258,920, inclusive of allowances. Furthermore, certain benefits, like housing and entertainment allowances, previously not included, have been incorporated into the updated salary structure.

With expectations mounting for the announcement of new council members by His Majesty King Mswati III, debates have arisen regarding potential appointees. While speculation swirls, the tradition of new appointments aligning with the start of a new Parliament persists, although no specific date is stipulated for such announcements.

The legal notice also introduces changes to vehicle benefits for council members, including the provision of Toyota Land Cruiser Prado SUVs for selected chairpersons. These vehicles, alongside other perks like housing and communication allowances, represent significant taxpayer-funded benefits for council members.

As taxpayers absorb the financial implications of these decisions, scrutiny over the allocation of public funds and the effectiveness of advisory councils in governance is likely to intensify. With citizens keenly observing developments, transparency and accountability in the management of public resources remain paramount.