Africa-Press – Eswatini. Sifiso Khumalo, the Attorney General(AG), Assistant AG Mbuso Simelane and other Government lawyers have allegedly taken advantage of the delay in the processing of payments to cash millions from Government suppliers some who are being owed for the past five(5) years.
A high level investigation has uncovered that, the lawyers from the Office of the AG are allegedly colluding with Accountants within the Treasury Department to deliberately delay payment particularly those worth millions so that, the suppliers could then engage lawyers and be at the mercy of Attorney General(AG) Sifiso Khumalo or the syndicate of Government lawyers.
It has been disclosed that, once the suppliers serve Government with a letter of demand or court papers demanding the payments, the Attorney General or Government lawyers have powers to recommend that,the supplier be paid,the matter be settled out of court and, that’s were the abuse of power and/or alleged corruption manifests where suppliers are allegedly forced to bribe AG Sifiso Khumalo or the Government lawyers to receive their payments.
Cyphertech Group, a technology company owned by businessman Mxolisi Dlamini allegedly provided services to Government but, a payment amounting to R56million has been deliberately withheld and as a result, the company is on the verge of collapse.
An electronic evidence in possession of this publication and sourced from the Treasury Department suggests that, in 2021, a part payment of twenty-eight million,nine hundred and ninety five thousand, one hundred and seventy-four, ninety five cents(R28,995,174.95) was reversed despite being loaded in the Government payment system.
It is alleged that, Cyphertech Group was due to receive an in-contact the following day when the ‘10% syndicate’ of lawyers within the Attorney General’s Office allegedly ordered the reversal of the multimillion payment.
But this publication previously reported that, Cyphertech Group is the same company whose alleged links to removed Royal Science and Technology Park(RSTP) Chief Executive Officer(CEO) Prince Vumile resulted to the company unfairly benefiting from tenders within the State owned company, it remains unclear if the AG’s lawyers used that to their advantage to demand the alleged bribe before ‘authorizing’ or recommending the payment.
Worth-noting and as previously exposed by this publication, billions were allegedly paid to companies owned by SwaziPharm Director Kareem Ashraff despite overwhelming evidence alleging acts of fraud and corruption, the Office the AG did not stop these payments.
But after the Ministry of ICT Principal Secretary(PS) Phesheya Dube halted the payment as per an alleged advice from the Office of the Attorney General,officials from the Federation of Eswatini Business Community(FESBC) led by Head of Business Transformation Mavela Sigwane, met the PS last week to discuss the matter, the FESBC senior officials were representing their member Cyphertech Group.
Documentary evidence in possession of this publication further suggests that, subsequent to the meeting between the PS and FESBC, on Thursday(6th February 2025), Mbuso Simelane,the Assistant Attorney General wrote to Mavela Sigwane, the FESBC Head of Business Transformation warning him to refrain from contacting or threatening ICT Principal Secretary Phesheya Dube.
“Your threatening Whatsap message sent to PS of the Ministry of ICT dated 31 January 2025 has been forwarded to us for a response. Under normal circumstances we do not respond to such communication with a courtesy of a letter, but we have been advised that you are seeking a meeting with the writer presumable to motivate the outrageous claim of E56,076,645.57(fifty six million, seventy six thousand six hundred and forty five Emalangeni and fifty seven cents) which you claim is due to Cyphertech. We wish to warn you from parading as a lawyer or collection agent without the proper license, which you failed to attach to the Whatsap message together with a Power of Attorney”,reads the letter in part, from the Assistant Attorney General to FESBC Head of Business Transformation Mavela Sigwane.
Government Spokesperson Alpheous Nxumalo declined to comment about the matter.
But a source very close to the matter told this publication that, it has become a norm for senior Government officials within the Treasury Department to frustrate payments as a systematic way to demand the 10% bribe.
The alleged corrupt syndicate ‘milking’ “the eSwatini businesspeople is allegedly deep rooted such that companies within the Small and Medium Enterprise(SME) sector who do business with Government” are now struggling to operate.
“It’s now difficult to run a company in this country, more companies owned by emaSwati are closing because even if you can get the tender, receiving the payment will be a Mountain to climb. You will pay the 10% until you are left with nothing”, said the source.
Efforts to seek a comment from businessman Mxolisi Dlamini, the Cyphertech Director proved unsuccessful at the time of compiling this report.
Reached for comments this week, Mavela Sigwane, the FESBC Head of Business Transformation confirmed the matter adding that, businesses are being collapsed by individuals within Government who deliberately delay payments.
“It is very much disturbing to note the ill-treatment of SMME in the country, not by our Government but by individuals occupying positions of authority.What has been evident is the fact that Cyphertech Director has since 2021, been owed for services rendered to the Ministry of ICT and has not been paid to date.Last week he brought the matter to the attention of FESBC Head of Business Transformation, Mavela Sigwane, FESBC contacted the Minister of Finance who confirmed that according to him all suppliers have been fuĺly paid and the matter is not in his table, Minister of Commerce was also notified of the ill-treatment suffered by SMME businesses, he promised to follow-up with the ICT Ministry”, he said.
Sigwane said as the situation stands, it then became clear to them that, more businesses are being deliberately collapsed by these individuals who delay payments while demanding bribes.
The FESBC Head of Business Transformation then urged businesses facing similar challenges to report to them so that, these matters could be taken-up and be addressed to prevent more closure of indigenous companies.
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