MBABANE – Documents are kept for future reference.
Classified instruments in the possession of the Times SUNDAY reveal what might have led Swazipharm to deliver health supplies to departments or public health institutions – not the Central Medical Stores (CMS).
With regard to Tender No.2 of 2022/23 (Procurement of ICU/Renal Pharmaceuticals and Medical Supplies), the Eswatini Tender Board issued an instruction to suppliers, one of which is Swazipharm.
In a letter dated April 10, 2022, Reginah Ntombenhle Masilela, the Secretary of the Eswatini Government Tender Board, wrote a letter to Swazipharm with reference number F21/35A/2200176.
This is not to say that drugs, as a matter of fact, were supplied at hospitals, but documents such as invoices, orders and delivery notes, yet to be disputed, suggest they were delivered there.
On the question of where to deliver, duly instructed by the Tender Board, the secretary said: “I am directed by the Eswatini Government Tender Board to inform you that you have been awarded the above-cited tender as per the attached price list.”
Regarding deliveries, the Eswatini Government Tender Board wrote: “You will supply after you have received an order from government. Your deliveries are to be made to the ministry or department, where the order originated. The invoices are to be directed to where the deliveries were made.”
The Tender Board’s letter was copied to the accountant general (AG) and auditor general (AG).
“Please, contact the principal secretary in the Ministry of Health for signing of a contract on receipt of the award,” partly reads the letter that was copied to the country’s AGs.
“You are to ensure that government procurement procedures are adhered to in the process of incurring the above-mentioned expenditure.”
The Tender Board’s letter has been released following a public statement by the Office of the Auditor General issued last Saturday and posted on the Eswatini Government’s Facebook page.
On behalf of the AG, it was issued by the Communications and Stakeholder Engagement Officer, Bongile Mavuso.
The AG raised concern about the article published by the Times of Eswatini, in which it was reported that Swazipharm delivered ‘missing’ drugs to public health facilities. The article was based on invoices, delivery notes and orders.
Reacting to the article, the AG stated: “On Friday, August 22, 2025, the Times of Eswatini published an article about the audit of the procurement and distribution of drugs to various health facilities by the Ministry of Health; an article that is biased and not factual.”
Specifically addressing the issue of deliveries, the AG further stated: “The Office of the Auditor General (OAG) conducts audits on government processes and procedures. It is government procedure that all drugs procured by the Ministry of Health are delivered to the Central Medical Stores (CMS). The CMS then distributes the drugs to health facilities as per needs and requests.”
AG Matsebula insisted that it is an anomaly for a storekeeper to unilaterally take decisions to deliver drugs and determine the quantities to be delivered to health facilities.
“The OAG has in its possession sufficient and appropriate evidence supporting the audit finding that drugs amounting to about E33.9 million were undelivered at CMS,” reads the statement from the AG.
“The officer (storekeeper) at CMS signed the delivery notes used to process payments. However, a physical inspection conducted by officers of the OAG at the CMS proved that the medical supplies were not received. Both manual and electronic stock management systems at the CMS have no record of the goods being received and distributed to health facilities.”
He also took a swipe at the journalist who wrote the story.
“In the same article, the journalist claims that drugs were delivered to certain health facilities. The claim is glaringly inaccurate. Procedurally, it is the CMS that has the mandate of receiving and distributing medical supplies to health facilities – based on stock levels and the demand from the facilities,” further reads the letter.
He added: “It is also unfortunate that the journalist did not do due diligence in getting all the facts right before making unfounded assertions about the work of the Supreme Audit Institution (SAI). There are processes in place to verify audit findings. As mentioned above, physical verifications and reviews were conducted before the office issues the final audit finding.”
Matsebula had maintained in his statement that his office has sufficient and appropriate documentation supporting the audit findings. He urged any person with additional documented evidence to submit it to the Ministry of Health or his office and the Public Accounts Committee (PAC).
He said the same matter has been handled by the PAC.
“The SAI of Eswatini is committed to remaining consistent in delivering credible audit services to keep government and the nation informed on the use of public funds – and to hold to account those given the responsibility of being custodians of these funds,” Matsebula emphasised.
He concluded by assuring the nation that this office’s work is guided by International Standards for Supreme Audit Institutions (ISSAIs set by International Organisation of Supreme Audit Institutions (INTOSAI) for all SAIs.
It must be said that, in his statement, the AG was careful, as he did not mention the name of any supplier.
Perhaps, the drugs were alternatively delivered at public health facilities in the past.
This newspaper investigated the matter to ascertain if suppliers are continuing delivering the drugs at medical health institutions – not only at CMS.
Tender No.4 of 2024/2025 (Pharmaceuticals and Medical Supplies for ICU/Renal), which has 94-page is a point of reference.
Here, suppliers were invited to tender for the supply and delivery of pharmaceuticals and medical supplies for Intensive Care Unit (ICU)/Renal.
The procuring entity was the Ministry of Health. This tender was issued on February 1, 2024.
Full article available in our publication.
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