By Zweli Martin Dlamini

MBABANE:Confidential evidence has emerged substantiating how Commerce Minister Mancoba Khumalo and Deputy Prime Minister(DPM) Thulie Dladla, the then Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation tried to sabotage the multi-million investigation into the shortage of drugs in public hospitals

Both Cabinet Ministers have alleged links with multimillion drugs shortage ‘thief’ and SwaziPharm(Pty) Ltd Director Kareem Ashraff.

It has been disclosed that,on or around July 2023, Cabinet allegedly summoned Directors of Funduzi Forensic Services for a meeting that was meant to, among others, discuss the circumstances surrounding the forensic investigation into the crisis.

This was after Sincendile Dlamini,the suspended Chief Procurement Officer in the Ministry of Health alleged that, one of the investigators Charles Kwezera demanded a bribe to compile a favorable report, Dlamini, is a subject of an investigation for allegedly colluding with Kareem Ashraff and other suppliers to loot millions of public funds.

During the Cabinet meeting, Commerce Minister Mancoba Khumalo,an alleged ‘friend’ to Kareem Ashraff was vocal calling upon Cabinet to halt the investigation as its credibility had been tainted.

But Zakhele Dlamini,the Managing Director(MD) of Funduzi Forensic Services, the South African company that was contracted to investigate the circumstances surrounding the shortage of drugs in public hospitals, vigorously opposed the Commerce Minister demanding to know if Cabinet could be dissolved just because one Minister has been accused of corruption.

“I don’t understand why you are suggesting that, the investigation must be stopped just because one of our investigators has been accused of demanding a bribe, we have internal disciplinary measures to deal with that.We have removed that investigator and now, the investigation is handled by credible individuals who are qualified Advocates.You mean if one Minister here could be accused of corruption, then the whole Cabinet must be dissolved?”, asked the Managing Director of Funduzi Forensic Services.

Cleopas Sipho Dlamini, the then Prime Minister(PM) who was chairing the Cabinet meeting then made a ruling saying the investigation into the shortage of drugs in public hospitals must continue, in vernacular, the former PM said “hambani niyosebenta”.

It has been disclosed that, on or around 02 August 2023, shortly after the Cabinet meeting, Finance Minister Neal Rijikernberg released a press statement confirming that, the services of one Mr Charles Kwezera who was an independent contractor, were terminated but the investigation “is continuing” with credible investigators.

“The remaining Funduzi team are seasoned professionals, consisting of, amongst others, an Advocate of the South African High Court, a Medical Doctor, a Senior Pharmacist, Senior Forensic Practitioners and Forensic Accountants”,reads the statement in part released by the Finance Minister.

Reached for comments on Tuesday afternoon, Zakhele Dlamini,the Managing Director of Funduzi Forensic Services said, he can only confirm that, the meeting was held at the Cabinet offices but declined to share further details.

“I can confirm that the meeting you are talking about took place, we were called to clarify certain issues before the continuation of the forensic investigation and after clarification, we were given a go ahead to continue with the investigations,”said the Director of Funduzi Forensic Services,the company that conducted the health crisis investigation.

But State intelligence sources told this publication that, SwaziPharm Kareem Ashraff who has been vigorously fighting the process of the investigation had ‘planted’ both Thulie Dladla and Commerce Minister Mancoba Khumalo to dismiss the investigation report in a Cabinet meeting that was supposed to be held on Tuesday(28th November 2023), the meeting was subsequently abandoned after this journalist exposed the plot and all Ministers were directed to attended a Parliament induction.

Both Commerce Minister Mancoba Khumalo and DPM Thulisile Dladla had not responded at the time of compiling this report.

SwaziPharm Director Kareem Ashraff told this publication earlier that,he will respond after the court cases.

On another note,Thulie Dladla,the then Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation now Deputy Prime Minister(DPM), who is allegedly linked to Ashraff and other suppliers “is also implicated in the ongoing health crisis”.

Evidence in our possession suggests that, on or around 08 August 2022, amid COVID-19 restrictions and control measures, Thulisile Dladla, the then Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, wrote an addendum to the then Prime Minister Cleopas Sipho Dlamini informing him about King Mswati’s trip to Kinshasa, the Democratic Republic of Congo(DRC) to attend the Southern African Development Community(SADC) Summit.

An addendum,in the context of the communication between Dladla and the  then PM, is a document that was meant to clarify logistics for the King’s trip.

But in the process, Dladla allegedly abused her powers and directed that, COVID-19 tests must be conducted at Lifespan Diagnostic, a company owned by businesswoman Zinhle Matsebula who is also a subject of an investigation into the ongoing health crisis.

“Following the approval of the main minute, may I submit the following changes and additions. The following accountable fees are requested for each member of the delegation; (i) E500 for COVID-19 PRC tests  at LifeSpan.(ii) E1,320-Tunisia visa fees for international passport holders.Grateful Your Excellencey for your approval of Addendum 2”, reads the Addendum written by the then Foreign Affairs Minister.

It has been disclosed that, as a result of the then Foreign Affairs Minister Thulisile Dladla’s directive, Zinhle Matsebula’s Lifespan Diagnosis managed to cash over one hundred thousand Rands(R100,000.00) in one(1) day for merely conducting COVID-19 tests, over two hundred fifty(250) members of the King’s delegation were allegedly tested.

Businesswoman Zinhle Matsebula has been vigorously denying any shady dealings that could have contributed or worsened the health crisis.

But information in our possession suggests that,part of the monies that were used to conduct COVID-19 tests for the King’s delegation were donated by local companies and international organizations to assist in the fight against the pandemic, Prime Minister Russell Mmiso Dlamini, the then Chief Executive Officer(CEO) of the National Disaster Management Agency(NDMA) subsequently failed to account for about R180million of the COVID-19 donations.