ARROGANT PM RUSSELL DLAMINI FACES LOOMING VOTE OF NO CONFIDENCE
The days of Russell Mmiso Dlamini as Prime Minister of eSwatini might be numbered. Reports from royal sources suggest that King Mswati himself has lost confidence in the arrogant and incompetent Prime Minister, and he is now searching for a “diplomatic” way to remove him. To protect his image, the King allegedly wants Parliament to be used as the tool to fire the Prime Minister through a vote of no confidence.
Attorney General Sifiso “Mashampu” Khumalo is said to be leading the lobbying of Members of Parliament to support this strategy. According to insiders, more than half of the Cabinet Ministers might also vote against the PM, as he has failed to unite his Cabinet and is widely seen as corrupt and reckless.
The King reportedly reminded his close aides about a past example where Parliament successfully voted out Titus Mlangeni, the former Public Works and Transport Minister, who was accused of fraud in the sale of a State Fokker 28 plane. That precedent, sources say, is now being used as a reference point to justify Russell Dlamini’s removal through similar means.
When asked to comment, Acting Government Spokesperson Thabile Mdluli refused to respond, while the King’s Spokesperson Percy Simelane admitted that the monarch can remove a Prime Minister if Parliament or other advisory bodies recommend such a decision. “Our experience is that the King considers failure to deliver in the best interest of the country. However, his decision is informed by a host of advisory structures, including Parliament and the Supreme Council of State,” Simelane told this publication.
Behind closed doors, King Mswati is said to have confessed that Russell Dlamini has become a liability. But the King also admitted he cannot simply remove him without a formal instrument, especially since he has served less than three years in office. The King allegedly told his trusted inner circle that firing the PM too soon would portray him as careless in appointing him in the first place. As a result, Parliament is now expected to be used as the convenient route to get rid of the Prime Minister.
The list of accusations against Russell Dlamini is long and serious. He is accused of issuing diplomatic passports to three Zimbabwean fugitives, reportedly planning to use them as his own private intelligence unit despite strong objections from National Commissioner Vusi Masango and other state security experts. He also signed agreements to deport dangerous criminals from the United States without consulting the Attorney General, who is supposed to provide legal advice on such sensitive matters.
In addition to these scandals, the Prime Minister has openly disrespected Parliament. During heated debates over the ongoing health crisis and shortages of medicine in public hospitals, Russell Dlamini arrogantly dismissed MPs and told them he would demonstrate his defiance, saying in Siswati, “nitangibona-ke namuhla kutsi nginenkhani mine” (you will see today that I am troublesome). Such statements have only fueled anger and resentment among MPs who now see him as unfit to lead.
The lobbying to oust Russell Dlamini is expected to intensify ahead of the official opening of Parliament next year. The Attorney General, together with MPs aligned to the royal establishment, will likely push hard to secure a vote of no confidence. If successful, this would mark one of the most humiliating falls for a Prime Minister in recent memory, exposing the cracks inside King Mswati’s government.
Russell Dlamini’s downfall appears inevitable. His arrogance, corruption, and inability to work with Parliament and his Cabinet have left him isolated. Now, even the King who appointed him is plotting his removal. For the people of eSwatini, this is yet another reminder that in an absolute monarchy, even powerful figures like the Prime Minister are disposable when they embarrass the throne.
