By Zweli Martin Dlamini

MBABANE:Businesswoman Zinhle Matsebula whose name features prominently in the looting of millions within the Ministry of Health, resulting to the shortage of drugs in public hospitals and the death of patients, has signed a fifty-three(53) pages sworn statement criticizing and demanding that Auditor General(AG) Timothy Matsebula must be investigated amid the ongoing probe into disappearance of public funds within the Ministry of Health.

The businessman who accumulated wealth within two(2) years after securing questionable tenders within the Ministry of Health,wants the AG investigated for contracting a forensic company to investigate the corruption amid the disappearance or shortage of drugs in public hospitals.

This comes after the Auditor General(AG) launched an investigation into the looting of public funds within the Ministry of Health, Funduzi Forensic Services was contracted to conduct the investigations and subsequently compiled a comprehensive report that also implicated Zinhle Matsebula.

The statement dated 13th March 2024, was directed to the Secretary and Chairperson of the Civil Service Commission(CSC), Prime Minister(PM) Russell Mmiso Dlamini, Speaker in the House of Assembly, Minister of Finance, Chairperson of the Parliament Public Accounts Committee(PAC) and the Royal Eswatini Police.

Worth-noting, the statement was signed or dated the same day when the Prime Minister(PM) met the Auditor General(AG) after he allegedly threatened him for continuing with the investigations into the health crisis.

“In simple terms,I was advised and I understand the High Court to have pronounced that Matsebula’s office is empowered to investigate and audit all institutions which control public funds in Eswatini, without exception.As it will be apparent shortly, the fulcrum on which my grievance and/or complaint rests is the manner in which Matsebula has abused the independence and the overarching power which reposes in his office.It is no exaggeration on my part to say that Matsebula has wilfully breached the Constitution, statutes, and other laws of Eswatini.It is on this basis that I require an investigation to be conducted in the manner in which Matsebula went about in conducting the process which he takes ownership of in his covering letter to the Honourable Finance Minister”, reads the statement in part signed by the businesswoman.

The businesswoman had not responded at the time of compiling this report.

But a preliminary investigation conducted by this Swaziland News uncovered that, the statement forms part of a plot by the Prime Minister(PM) and his corrupt syndicate of businesspeople who allegedly looted the public funds to arrest and fire Auditor General(AG) Timothy Matsebula.

The PM was the Chief Executive Officer(CEO) of the National Disaster Management Agency(NDMA) where he was entrusted with over R500million COVID-19 funds and at this juncture,the report of the Auditor General(AG) concluded that, the PM failed to account for about R180million. 

Efforts to reach the AG proved unsuccessful as his phone rang unanswered.

On another note, this publication previously exposed a plot by Prime Minister(PM) Russell Mmiso Dlamini to arrest and fire the Auditor General(AG), the PM is also a subject of an investigation for allegedly looting about R180million public and donor funds as per the report of the Auditor General(AG).