By Guest Writer | 2025-03-11

During the interview last week with the national broadcaster on the challenges experienced during her time in office, the Minister of Information, Communication and Technology, Savannah Maziya reflected on the different leadership styles she has been exposed to; that in politics not everything you see is what you get and the need to choose your allies carefully “to get to the promised land”.

Currently the recipient of questionable service delivery in local government in my own town, I can completely empathise with the minister’s observations on the benefits of inclusivity in the decision-making process; a leadership style that is the model of integrity and the need for a transparent stance towards corruption, which is continuing to do so much damage to the economy.
Which raises the question whether Prime inister Russell Dlamini needs to be a little more forthcoming not only about the reported divisions within the Cabinet, which may be adversely affecting ministerial performance, but also about the non-payment of any cash funding from the National Disaster Management Agency (NDMA) or the ministry of health to The Luke Commission (TLC) during the duration of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Office
An issue also likely to be of concern to the eputy Prime Minister (DPM) Thuli Dladla, because the disaster management department comes under the office of the deputy prime minister, which oversees and works in conjunction with the NDMA. And which required a co-ordinated approach to the critical issues at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, by recognising the value of genuine cooperation between the various entities to include TLC.

The need for a co-ordinated approach was more evident than the ready availability of a reliable oxygen supply and the effective rollout of the vaccination programme, which both required a significant input from TLC.
So it might not be unreasonable to suggest that, when the NDMA makes front page news, then the DPM will likely sit up and take notice. Particularly when the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) is involved, because the potential for negative feedback can have a direct impact on how the DPM’s own disaster management department functions and how it is perceived by Emaswati.
Officials from the NDMA appeared before the Public Accounts Committee on two separate occasions in 2024. On May 20th, to provide a less than convincing response to the unaccounted for E30 million, in addition to the unaccounted for E180 million donated by international organisations to fight the global pandemic, as previously highlighted by the Auditor General. On September 17th, officials from the NDMA again faced close scrutiny from the PAC, which on this occasion decided to adopt a less confrontational style.
The focus of the questioning was on the actual disbursement of the COVID-19 grants, intended to support organisations such as TLC in the frontline of the battle against the pandemic. Concerns having been expressed by some members of the PAC, regarding the selection criteria used in the allocation of funds. With credible reports of some beneficiaries having received multiple payments whilst others, who were arguably more deserving such as TLC, were totally overlooked.

Contrary to the misinformation currently circulating in the corridors of political power, TLC did not receive one single emalangeni of financial support from the NDMA or the ministry of health during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Challenges
Even accepting the unique challenges faced by the NDMA’s grant distribution strategy at the height of the pandemic, the only reasonable conclusion was that it is possible to reach on the facts available, is that the selection process was politically motivated and lacked transparency. Yet the negative narrative that some high profile politicians have chosen to spin is that TLC was indeed a beneficiary of a significant funding from the NDMA and the ministry. Which has much wider implications on the issue of how TLC is currently perceived by some during this critical time for the health of the nation.
If certain NGOs who supposedly benefitted from the allocation of funds under the previous CEO in fact did not, then clearly this must be of concern to the DPM in her role as overseer of the NDMA, because the highest authority in the land may not be getting a true picture of what is really happening on the ground in relation to TLC.

With USAID having been frozen, TLC is actively seeking to adapt to the constantly changing funding landscape; and remains totally committed to financial resilience and establishing a diversified funding model to ensure continued sustainability which must include government funding.
TLC were at the forefront during the pandemic supporting the ministry of health, despite some high profile politicians seeking to suggest otherwise. There seems to be a general disconnect at the highest political level, because the directors of TLC are American born with Eswatini citizenship and have a US Board of Directors, that TLC is flush with cash and does not require any financial support from government.
Nothing could be further from the truth, because analysis of the historical source of all revenue received for the period 2020-2024, as provided by TLC’s chief financial officer (CFO) and now accessible on their website, confirms a high level of dependency on private donor funding.
For example in 2021 only 31 per cent of all funding received came from USAID, with a high dependency on gifts-in-kind/non-cash (55 per cent), other grants and individual contributions (21 per cent). My own discussions with one of the directors at TLC, also confirmed that other revenue received (two per cent) during the height of the COVID pandemic did not include any cash funding support from either the NDMA or the ministry. Is it going too far to suggest that the withholding of cash funding from TLC was deliberate despite all its willing efforts during the pandemic, which may also be a contributory factor to the severe financial difficulties now being experienced by the NGO?
24 hours is a long time in politics, which I have no doubt the president of Ukraine can testify to. At the breakfast press meeting held on June 6th 2024, later auditor general was described by prime minister as “incompetent” with his audit of the NDMA “not to be relied upon”. Fast forward over nine months and the auditor general is now being viewed as a potential saviour by the former minister of health and now senator, in her stated desire to see the auditor general carry out an audit of the E30 million subvention made to TLC in the fourth quarter of 2024.
Agreeement
The directors and the board are in full agreement that the subvention of E30 million received from government by TLC will be the subject of a routine audit by the auditor general and made public (together with the additional subvention of E20 million recently approved in the supplementary budget).

TLC are and will continue to be financially transparent.
TLC’s accountants are US based and were appointed after a rigorous selection process, because of their expertise in the specialised area of non-profit healthcare audits and their ability to efficiently audit organisations operating in multi-national jurisdictions. The audited accounts for the financial years ending December 31st, 2021, 2022 and 2023 as presented by Capin Crouse LLP are readily available for public scrutiny on TLC’s website.
Desire
Where the former health minister might experience some challenges in her desire to have a full audit completed on TLC is actually from the auditor general himself. Because under its terms of reference, the office of the auditor general is required to conduct forensic and investigative audits on third party entities in receipt of government funding. As no cash funding was received by TLC during the COVID-19 pandemic from either the ministry or the NDMA, the auditor general may be reluctant to act outside of his terms of reference.
With regard to the queries raised by the respected businessman and former senator, most of TLC’s historic funding has come from international sources. Hence the reason that the financials are presented in a globally recognised currency i.e. US dollars, because it avoids issues such as exchange rate fluctuations, which makes reporting and donor compliance so much easier. According to their accountants, all the financial statements “present fairly, in all material respects, the combined financial positon of The Luke Commission and The Luke Commission Eswatini”.
So my heartfelt and humble request to those few but influential high ranking politicians, who are still intent on seeing TLC fail, is to accurately present the full facts on TLC. And not the skewed version with the intention of offering an alternative not a false narrative; and by so doing to gain favour with the highest authority in the land.

share story          

Post Your Comments Below

---