MBABANE – The Auditor General (AG), Timothy Matsebula, has uncovered serious procurement irregularities at the Ministry of Health, including the use of expired tenders to purchase pharmaceuticals worth nearly E10 million and the accumulation of expired medical stock valued at over E11 million.
According to Matsebula’s Audit Report on the Medical Drugs Trading Account – Pharmaceuticals for the financial year ended March 31, 2025, the ministry used expired tenders from the 2023/2024 financial year to procure E9 933 573.80 worth of pharmaceuticals and medical supplies. These items were also delivered after the end of the fiscal year, according to the report.
The AG said the tenders were not supported by any tender extension authority to the following year, in violation of Section 25 of the Public Procurement Regulations of 2020, which stipulates that tender validity periods must be clearly defined and extended only under exceptional circumstances. “The non-compliance with the Public Procurement Regulations of 2020 can give rise to legal risks,” Matsebula warned. “Expired documents may not reflect updated specifications, budget allocations or evaluation criteria.”
He added that the expenditure incurred using expired tender authorities amounted to unauthorised (irregular) expenditure and advised the controlling officer to explain why the ministry proceeded with the purchases instead of initiating a fresh tender process.
The AG further reported that the Central Medical Stores (CMS) received pharmaceuticals worth E9 079 572.06 with a shelf life shorter than 18 months during the same financial year.
According to Matsebula, some vouchers showed that the senior pharmacist authorised the acceptance of the short-dated stock by signing and stamping supplier requests, despite the lack of supporting evidence showing that the medicines were in high demand or out of stock. “There was no evidence provided to indicate a high consumption rate of the mentioned medicines or that they were urgently required,” the AG noted.
He cautioned that accepting short-dated medicines without a clear justification exposes government to financial losses if the drugs expire before use and undermines the integrity of the procurement process.
Matsebula also flagged a high volume of expired laboratory stock at the CMS valued at E2 088 231.58. He said there was additional expired stock that had not been assigned a value, meaning the total loss could be significantly higher. “The reported value of expired laboratory items is understated because some items were not valued,” he said.
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