CONTROVERSY OVER E316K FURNITURE AT MINISTRY OF LABOUR

LOBAMBA – The Ministry of Labour and Social Security’s Scholarship Department angered members of the PAC, who were not satisfied with its answers on expenditure of over E316 000.

The money was spent on office furniture that was never delivered, as per the procurement tender. A response that was given to the MPs did not have supporting documents, while officers of the ministry were giving the PAC inconclusive responses when asked whether the furniture was delivered or not. The officer that angered the MPs was the Human Resources Officer of the Scholarship Department, Ncobile Dlamini. This was when the ministry, with its departments, appeared before the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) to answer on audit queries that were raised by the auditor general. The AG in the Financial Audit Report of the Consolidated Government Accounts of the Kingdom of Eswatini for the financial year ended March 31, 2022, reported that stores amounting to E316 390 were purchased during the year; however, during a physical verification exercise the items were not identified. Instead, the auditors were shown old items.

Auditors

The items that were supposed to be verified by the auditors included 26 deep swivel armchairs, 16 executive leather high hack swivel armchairs, two 35 to 40 seater boardroom tables, and a 15 to 20 boardroom seater table 80mm, as a well as one wall unit. Noteworthy, these items were paid for and a delivery note was signed that gave approval that the ordered items were delivered. This office furniture was for the scholarship department. Yesterday, the Principal Secretary (PS) in the Ministry of Labour and Social Security, Makhosini Mndawe, told the PAC that some of the items that were mentioned in the audit query were available, but some were not. “We also conducted our inspections and some of the items were available and some were not; as a result a case was reported to the police,” he said. Mndawe said they also made a follow-up with the police and were given assurance that the matter was being actioned. The PS also shared a police report that was dated May 22, 2024, as proof that the matter of the missing furniture was reported. The session went south as soon as the controlling officer asked the Human Resources Officer of the Scholarship Department, Ncobile, to explain in detail about the missing or undelivered office furniture.

Missing

Dlamini tried to explain that there were 14 missing chairs and there were also eight leather chairs and fabric chairs that were delivered from an order of 16 leather chairs. She added that the reason the supplier could not deliver all 16 leather chairs was because of COVID-19, which inflated the prices in the market. Before she could continue, the MPs were heard mumbling among themselves. Somntongo MP Sandile Nxumalo stated that he was confused as the AG’s report stated that furniture was not delivered. “Why do you say the items were lost when they were never delivered? Can undelivered items be lost? These items were never delivered, tell the truth,” he said. Nxumalo said it should be clearly stated how many items went missing and how many were not delivered. Assistant Auditor General (AG) Samkele Motsa explained that the undelivered items were based on their analysis, because they could not find the furniture at the time of the audit.

Dlamini explained to the MPs that the furniture was delivered, but the specifics had been changed. Nxumalo also interjected and asked the officer to give clear answers that aligned with the AG’s report. The Vice Chairperson of the PAC, Nhlambeni MP Manzi Zwane had to plead with the MPs who were already failing to understand Dlamini’s explanation. Matsanjeni South MP Sabelo Ndlangamandla said: “The officer should not run away with the answers. When a supplier delivers material, they produce a delivery note. Do you have a delivery note.”
The officer emphasised that all 26 armed chairs were delivered and 14 went missing and were reported to the police after the auditors pointed them out.

Just after her statement, the MPs shook their heads and looked at each other, seemingly disappointed. It was then that the MPs reprimanded the officer for her statements and accused her of disrespecting the honourable House. Appointed MP Tsembeni Magongo said the explanation by the officer did not have any iota of truth because the AG reported that he found old and worn-out furniture, not the new furniture that was supposed to be bought and paid for using public funds. “In short, you are disagreeing with the AG; you are saying there are 12 chairs in the office. The police report you have provided was made a few days ago, yet the furniture disappeared two years ago. This means you were brushing us off and you are also using the police,” she said.

Dvokodvweni MP Sifiso Shabalala, after noting that the MPs were disagreeing with the officer’s report, he quickly said ‘I told you so’. This is because Shabalala had said from the onset that he was not buying any of the explanation that was delivered by the ministry’s officials but was urged to wait for the officers to finish their explanation. “It is clear that the furniture was never there. The concern we have is that you did not prepare yourselves when you came here, hence you are giving us a cooked statement. The AG’s report mentioned several items that are missing but you are giving us a run around on the first item on the list. There is also a wall unit missing and sifuna kuva kutsi sikulakula sonkhe se wall unit sibhekaphi,” he said.

Smooth

Somntongo MP said he was saddened by the conduct of the ministry. He said the PAC was trying to have a smooth session but the ministry was not coming to the party. “You’re just saying nothing. I do not even know where you got the audacity to bring a document that was filed a few days ago as proof that you reported items that went missing in 2022. Sibindzi lesikhulu kangaka usitsatsaphi while the country has lost so much through such activities,” he said. The MP told the entire PAC that he was not going to let the ministry move on to another session, until the scholarship department told them where the items were. “I want the ministry and everyone involved to tell the truth nangabe nifuna siyiphakamise lentfo lena siyente ishube (don’t dare us) we will do just that. We will not tolerate these lies. We are trying to recover government funds,” he said.

Nxumalo further alleged that there was likelihood that the supplier did not deliver the items. He said they should say so and stop shielding him or her. He asked if the officer benefited from the tender of the undelivered items. He said they should have reported in 2022. He asked how the police could recover items that were stolen in 2022. The MP said he wanted to trust them, but was failing because the AG could not deliver a report without facts. “What interest does he have to lie about you? The supplier took government’s money and never delivered the items and now you are trying to protect that person and for what,” he said. The MP said even the ministry needed to be investigated for its behaviour in the whole matter. Kubuta MP Masiphula Mamba said since the ministry appeared before the PAC, which was last week and yesterday, they had been challenged to produce proof in the form of annexures to the reports.

Responses

He said as he was paging the thin responses that were brought by the ministry and lifting the annexures that were provided during the session. “Matsanjeni MP asked for a delivery note and we want to see it. We want a supporting document that supports what you are saying in terms of the items being delivered, which will crush what the auditor general said in his report. Give us the delivery note before you can flash the police report on us,” he said. Ndlangamandla further asked who received the chairs that were supposedly missing. “Setinetinyawo titulo kutsi tabuyela emuva (do these chairs have legs and were able to walk out of the office). Where is the delivery note signed by the deliverer and the receiver?” he asked. Zwane reminded the ministry that the PAC had a holding cell to detain people who were lying, and the evidence they were bringing before them was under oath. The vice chairman said he failed to understand how the items went missing, because if there was a person who stole them, he or she would have been seen by someone moving the furniture. “If it was during the day, you would have seen the person. Even if it happened at night you should have seen that the furniture was missing immediately you entered the office,” he said.

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