The eSwatini Observer headline titled “Lizzie spills beans on drugs shortage” was not only misleading but, a propaganda meant to sanitize the former Health Minister’s dereliction of duties that worsened the health crisis, resulting to the death of hundreds of emaSwati or patients in public hospitals.
No single ‘bean’ could be spilled by Lizzie Nkosi,a corrupt woman whose failure to administer a very critical Government Ministry resulted to the intervention of Parliament,if Finance Minister Neal Rijikernberg did not act decisively even after attempts to discredit the Forensic investigation, we wouldn’t be where we are today with regards to the efforts to address the health crisis.
Even the recent investigations conducted by the independent media were complemented by the political will demonstrated by the Government to find solutions to the crisis and this,is highly commendable.
As the media,we have been sending questionnaires to the then Health Minister Lizzie Nkosi demanding answers regarding the death of patients in the public hospitals amid shortage of drugs and other working equipment.
But alas, she would,instead of responding,rush to the State owned radio to utter outright lies saying drugs have been delivered to the various Government clinics and hospitals.
Worth-noting,even if the former Health Minister could claim she was not part of the syndicate that looted the public funds, the mere fact that, she was defending corruption as a political head of the Ministry automatically creates reasonable believe that,she might have been complicit and/or aware how the looting machinery was configured.
SwaziPharm Director Kareem Ashraff, businesswoman Zinhle Matsebula and other senior government officials that include Sincendile Dlamini, the Chief Procurement Officer in the Ministry of Heath allegedly colluded to loot millions of public funds.
Lizzie never raised an alarm and/or report to Parliament or law-enforcement agencies that, money was disappearing in the Ministry of Health but instead she kept on lying even after a series of protests by the Nurses Union and patients in an effort to raise awareness about the highly sensitive issue.
Even after MPs that include former Ndzingeni legislator Lutfo Dlamini and the current Health Minister Mduduzi Matsebula demanded answers,Lizzie Nkosi was evasive while hundreds of emaSwati were dying in hospitals.
The former Health Minister is so lucky, she allegedly managed to bribe MPs for a Senate seat but in my view, she doesn’t even deserve to be in Parliament because by her political conduct,she cannot be trusted with public administration.
Former Health Minister Senator Lizzie Nkosi.