MBABANE – The CSC has intensified its crackdown on corruption and theft within the public service.
The commission has dismissed a Ministry of Education and Training employee found guilty of involvement in the disappearance and sale of 340 government laptops.
In its ruling, the Civil Service Commission (CSC) described the theft as a serious breach of public trust and a direct assault on learners’ education.
The dismissed employee, Gcina Dlamini, a handyman in the ministry, was found guilty of contravening Section 49(g) of the Public Service Act of 2018, following an internal disciplinary process and corroborated criminal investigation which revealed that government-issued laptops meant for school learners were unlawfully removed from ministry stores and sold both locally and across borders.
The commission said the decision was guided by the gravity of the offence, the scale of loss and the need to protect public resources from continued abuse.
The matter came to light in 2022 after an audit at the Ministry of Education and Training stores revealed that hundreds of laptops were missing without any formal distribution records.
According to evidence presented during disciplinary proceedings, storekeeper Nozipho Tsabedze testified that she and Dlamini were among the few individuals with access to the storeroom, where the laptops were kept. She told the CSC that she discovered discrepancies during stock verification, which later confirmed that boxes previously containing laptops were empty.
Tsabedze further stated that she and Dlamini initially reported the missing equipment internally before escalating the matter to authorities. She later assisted police in identifying recovered laptops using delivery notes and serial numbers, some of which were found in Dlamini’s presence at the police station.
Detective Constable Sibusiso Kunene, who investigated the matter, told the disciplinary hearing that there was no sign of forced entry at the storeroom, indicating that access was gained using a key. He further testified that the investigation led to the recovery of several laptops that had already been sold to various individuals, including traders and students in neighbouring countries.
In his defence, Dlamini denied involvement in the theft, stating that he only accessed the storeroom under supervision to assist with manual duties. He argued that multiple employees had access to the storage area and insisted that he never handled the laptops independently.
He further told the commission that he had been unfairly implicated and claimed inconsistencies in witness statements regarding his movements during the investigation period.
His legal representative maintained that the evidence was circumstantial and not sufficient to directly link him to the disappearance of the laptops.
However, the commission rejected his defence, stating that the totality of evidence, including witness testimony, recovery of laptops and inconsistencies in his explanations pointed to direct involvement.
Investigators revealed that some of the stolen laptops were sold to local businesses dealing in electronic equipment, while others were traced to individuals who had reportedly taken them outside the country, including students in Botswana and other foreign destinations.
At least one laptop was reportedly sold for E7 000 through informal transactions, while others were recovered through coordinated police operations.
The commission noted that out of the 340 laptops reported missing; only a portion was recovered, with a significant number still unaccounted for.
In its ruling, the Simanga Mamba-led commission said the case represented a deliberate and systematic abuse of office and a betrayal of the trust placed in public servants.
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The stolen laptops were sold to local businesses dealing in electronic equipment, while others were traced to individuals who had taken them outside the country. (Courtesy pic)