Africa-Press – Eswatini. A majority of the Central Medical Stores (CMS) employees who have been on suspension were yesterday served with letters informing them of government’s intention to institute disciplinary action against them.
The employees, who have been on suspension since April, were suspended to allow for a forensic investigation into alleged irregularities in requisition, acquisition and distribution of medicines to public health facilities.
The 11 suspended employees include pharmacists, procurement professionals, accountants, stores personnel responsible for receiving and dispatching of medicines and medical suppliers, as well as management.
According to sources, at least 10 of the employees were served with letters endorsed by Ministry of Health Principal Secretary, Khanyakwezwe Mabuza and given seven days to respond.
Some of the employees were instructed to answer on charges that relate to alleged procurement flouting.
One of the employees, who requested to speak on condition of anonymity, said the charges were odd because they had nothing to do with what they were questioned on during the interview with the investigators.
“It’s honestly frustrating what’s happening to us,” said the civil servant.
“After being suspended for six months, we are now being told to prove ourselves on issues that clearly have nothing to do with the forensic investigation,” the employee added.
The forensic investigation was conducted by Funduzi Forensic Services, who have been surrounded by controversy concerning their questionable documentation.
The employee claimed the whole exercise of charging them was an attempt to throw anything in an attempt to make it stick.
“This is sad because it has nothing to do with getting to the bottom of the drugs shortage,” added the employee.
Despite an interim court order interdicting and prohibiting the State from carrying a forensic investigation on her after levelling extortion allegations against one of the drugs shortage lead investigators Charles Kwezera, Principal Procurement Officer Sincedzile Dlamini-Magwaza, was also served with a letter asking her to show cause on two issues that have nothing to do with procurement.
Dlamini-Magwaza had approached the court about Kwezera’s alleged extortion together with Deputy Director – Pharmaceutical Services, Fortunate Bhembe, further alleging that the procurement process that engaged the forensic audit was tainted with irregularities.
Kwezera was subsequently removed from the investigation, and his contract with Funduzi was also terminated.
Last week, the civil servants were turned back from work after they reported for duty on reason that Section 194 (4) of the Constitution, provides that ‘the matter of a suspended officer shall be finalised within six months, failing which the suspension shall be lifted.’
In contrast to what the Constitution states, they were instead served with letters informing them that the instrument that suspended them from duty was issued by the Civil Service Commission, (CSC) and therefore, were expected to comply with its terms, until a time whereby there was another instrument changing that decision.
The probe has been marred by controversies as pharmaceutical distribution company and a long time supplier of medicinal drugs to government, Swazi Pharm and its directors Indonesian Consular Kareem Ashraff and David Melvin rushed to court with an urgent application, demanding that the report be made public, alleging that the auditor general showed up to Ashraff’s residence in Dalriach, Mbabane, on July 13 at approximately 20:44 hours and showed him extracts of the report.
The AG, on the other hand, disputes this and alleges that Ashraff instructed him to drop the investigation and reinstate Dlamini-Magwaza and Bhembe.
A fortnight ago, Government Spokesperson, Alpheous Nxumalo, issued a statement informing the public that it was too dangerous to reveal names of individuals and entities implicated in the report.
Efforts to get a comment from the principal secretary proved futile as his mobile phone rang unanswered when called yesterday evening.
The charges come shortly after nurses stated that they were convinced that the forensic investigation was nothing but a plan to deceive the public.
Swaziland Democratic Nurses Union (SWADNU) Secretary General, Mayibongwe Masangane said the controversy surrounding Funduzi Forensic Services, the company that conducted the forensic investigation, as well as reports of the procurement process being tainted with irregularity, was enough proof that the investigation was supposedly a sham.
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