- Director says audits alone cannot improve public service delivery
- Calls on public servants to put citizens first
BY MFANUFIKILE KHATHWANE
LOBAMBA– Eswatini needs public leaders who are guided by ethics, integrity and a strong sense of responsibility if the country is to achieve meaningful accountability and better service delivery, Funduzi Forensic Services Executive Director Zakhele Dlamini has said.
He was addressing the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) on Monday, July 13, 2026, during the presentation of the forensic report into the recall of substandard medicines and the medicines management framework across government health facilities, Dlamini said investigations and audit reports alone could not transform public institutions without people committed to doing what is right.
Funduzi Forensic Services is an independent forensic auditing and investigation firm appointed by the Office of the Auditor General to investigate allegations of financial misconduct, fraud and weaknesses in public institutions. Its findings are presented to Parliament through the Public Accounts Committee to strengthen accountability, transparency and the proper use of public funds.
“We need people with ethics and integrity. The moral backbone of every individual in public service should guide them every day as they ask themselves, ‘What is my role in serving the public?’” he said.
Dlamini said the forensic investigation had been funded by taxpayers and that Parliament had a responsibility to ensure every lilangeni of public money was properly accounted for.
“This committee is not presenting this report for itself, but on behalf of the nation. Accountability for every lilangeni spent on behalf of the people must always come first,” he said.
He said audits expose weaknesses, while forensic investigations uncover facts, but neither could improve service delivery on their own.
“Audits alone cannot fix government failures. Investigations alone cannot achieve public accountability. Reports alone cannot improve service delivery. What we need are people with ethics, integrity and a commitment to serving the nation,” he said.
Dlamini urged public servants and political leaders to always put the interests of citizens first, saying accountability should become part of everyday public service and not only be discussed after investigations have been completed.
He said every public servant should return home each day knowing they had fulfilled their responsibility to serve the nation honestly and professionally.
Dlamini also acknowledged the important role played by the media in strengthening accountability and democracy.
He said an independent and responsible media was a key partner in nation-building because it informs the public, promotes transparency and helps cultivate a culture of integrity.
“The media must report accurately and responsibly. When inaccurate information is published, the public is misled and the work of institutions such as the Auditor General and the Public Accounts Committee can be undermined,” he said.
He cited the public debate surrounding one of Funduzi’s previous forensic reports as an example of why facts should always be verified before publication, saying accurate reporting helps the public understand issues correctly and supports informed public debate.
Earlier, PAC Chairperson and Deputy Speaker Madala Mhlanga reminded committee members that Parliament had previously granted the committee an extension to complete its work on the Funduzi report. He said the report had already been tabled before Parliament, but members wanted to examine its findings in detail before recommending its adoption by the House of Assembly.
Auditor General Timothy Matsebula said the report was important because it followed investigations into the recall of substandard medicines and the systems governing the procurement and distribution of medicines across government health facilities.
Before the presentation began, Matsanjeni South MP Sabelo Ndlangamandla sought clarity on media reports that a Funduzi report had been challenged in court. Mhlanga clarified that the committee was considering a different report before allowing proceedings to continue.
The Public Accounts Committee is expected to continue scrutinising the report before presenting its recommendations to the House of Assembly.
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(Courtesy Pic)
