The Swaziland Government intends to pursue people beyond the grave to make sure they repay their student scholarships.

It does not matter if they die, the government will make sure someone pays up on their behalf, Ministry of Labour and Social Security Principal Secretary Nomathemba Hlophe said.

Hlophe said that the government would chase the money down from the witnesses who had endorsed students' signatures on their scholarship agreement forms.

The Swazi Observer, a newspaper in effect owned by King Mswati III, reported today (14 February 2013) Hlophe told state-controlled radio that all monies issued as scholarship loans would be recovered.

The newspaper reported, 'Asked how government would deal with issues of those who had already passed on, Hlophe said they were going to follow the agreements that were signed between government and the scholarship beneficiaries in as far as the payment was concerned.'

Hlophe said the ministry had the names of people who witnessed signatures when students signed their scholarship forms. She claimed this signature also meant that the witnesses would be responsible for the repayment of scholarship loans should there be a default for any reason.