BY MFANUFIKILE KHATHWANE
LOBAMBA – Government has committed that there will be no further extensions in the long-running procurement of the specialised fire truck, with the Ministry of Public Works and Transport informing Parliament that a delegation will this month verify the vehicle’s final stage of fabrication before deciding on the next course of action.
The commitment was made July 6,2026 during a meeting of Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC), chaired by Madala Mhlanga, as Members of Parliament scrutinised findings contained in the Auditor General’s Financial Audit Report relating to parastatals under the Ministry of Public Works and Transport.
Opening the discussion, Mhlanga reminded the committee that during an earlier engagement with the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development, under which the Eswatini National Fire and Emergency Services falls, MPs had demanded an update on the specialised fire truck that has remained undelivered for years despite millions having been spent on its procurement.
He recalled that Parliament had been promised a report by April and stressed that the committee required a clear way forward before releasing the fire service’s budget, saying the submission by the ministry’s Principal Secretary would determine the committee’s next steps.
Principal Secretary Thulani Mkhaliphi acknowledged that the project had become an embarrassment to the ministry but insisted responsibility should not rest with Public Works alone.
He said the procurement involved the Ministry of Public Works and Transport, the Eswatini National Fire and Emergency Services and the Central Transport Administration (CTA), which facilitated the procurement process.
Mkhaliphi told MPs that on January 29 this year he led a joint delegation with fire service officials to meet the supplier in South Africa, where they reviewed progress and discussed technical specifications. He said the supplier advised that certain components would be manufactured outside South Africa to reduce costs before final assembly.
According to the Principal Secretary, the Eswatini National Fire and Emergency Services signed off on the final specifications on February 3, 2026, after confirming that the design met operational requirements.
He said the supplier committed to providing a progress update within six months, a period that expires this month.
“The delegation will return to inspect the latest progress. We are now at the final stages and have agreed there will be no further extensions,” PS told the committee.
While welcoming the update, MPs remained unconvinced.
PAC member Nomkhosi Masuku said similar assurances had been given before, recalling that she had previously travelled as part of a delegation to inspect the truck. She questioned whether the repeated six-month timelines were merely delaying tactics.
Sifiso Shabalala urged the ministry to provide consistent progress reports, while Sandile Nxumalo demanded documentary proof that the supplier remained committed to delivering the vehicle, noting that the prolonged delay had affected emergency service delivery.
PAC member Tsembeni Magongo called for legal action against the supplier for allegedly breaching the contract, saying Government must recover public funds and consider blacklisting contractors who fail to honour agreements.
Mhlanga reminded the committee that AG Sifiso Mashampu Khumalo had previously advised that the contract was not properly handled from the outset. However, he cautioned that legal action alone might not guarantee value for money if the country ultimately lost the specialised vehicle it urgently requires.
The PAC is expected to consider the ministry’s latest submission once the inspection delegation returns with its final report later this month.
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