VUVULANE – Community members reportedly recovered a 10-litre container of medication from a security guard at Vuvulane Rural Clinic, raising concerns of theft.
The community members claim they took the medication to the clinic after discovering it at a house shared by a security guard employed at the medical facility and another occupant.
According to the community members, some of the medication recovered from the said house had been repackaged into small sachets and sold for E5 each.
The community members further informed this publication that the guard purportedly provided treatment and conducted tests on residents despite the fact that his duties at the hospital had nothing to do with administering medical care. It is alleged that the employee of the clinic, reportedly administered medical care to minors. The community members claimed the minors returned home and informed their parents that the guard had instructed them to come for testing.
They expressed concern about the safety of residents, particularly children, questioning whether the guard had the qualifications or authority to conduct medical tests and provide treatment.
The community members said the medication was discovered following a disagreement between the security guard and his roommate.
They claimed that this resulted in the medication being exposed to them and they collected it in order to return it to the public health facility.
The community members said they returned the medication to the public health facility as they suspected that it might have been taken without following proper procedures,
“We took it there in anticipation that an investigation would establish where it came from and how it left the clinic,” one of the community members said.
When returning the medication, it is said healthcare workers at the public health facility were shocked of it quantity, particularly because it was reportedly known to experience medicine shortages. It is claimed that when the medication was delivered at the clinic, senior officers appreciated the effort and advised the community members that they would engage the security guard. It is said days later, the community members sought the intervention of law enforcers to establish whether such a matter had been reported.
The community members further claimed to have subsequently approached the police; however, they were reportedly informed that the matter could not proceed unless the clinic opened a case. The issues of challenges regarding medical drugs and supplies in public health facilities were also a burning issue during Sibaya in 2023, as the public called for the arrest and subsequent prosecution of those who were said to have contributed to the collapse of the public healthcare sector.
Despite this call, a suspect is yet to be arrested and charged for the theft and loss of medical drugs and supplies in the public health system.
Meanwhile, the community claimed that, as they were dissatisfied with the responses and they approached the constituency’s Member of Parliament (MP) Sifiso Magagula.
The Mhlume Constituency MP said he had raised concerns with the ministry’s Principal Secretary, Khanya Mabuza, after hearing reports of alleged irregularities at the facility.
He said he had asked Mabuza to visit the clinic and assess the situation, but had refrained from discussing specific details because he had not independently verified the allegations.
Also, Health Minister Mduduzi Matsebula said he was not aware of the alleged medication theft, but would consult the ministry’s Senior Management Team (SMT) to establish whether the matter had been reported or was already being handled.
Matsebula said the ministry had officials responsible for health facilities who would need to follow up on the allegations and provide feedback.
He said he would assign someone to investigate if it emerged that the ministry’s senior management was unaware of the matter and no investigation was under way.
The minister said he could not immediately announce an investigation without first establishing whether the relevant authorities were already addressing the allegations.
Meanwhile, the allegations of medication theft at Vuvulane Rural Clinic come amid long-standing concerns about the procurement, storage and distribution of medicines in Eswatini’s public health system.
On February 23, 2024, the Office of the Auditor General submitted an abridged forensic audit report on the acquisition and distribution of medicines to public health facilities. The report identified weaknesses in stock management, medicine tracking, receipt and storage controls, as well as the handling of suspected theft. These shortcomings were linked to problems including theft, expired stock and under-deliveries.
In July 2023, a report on a Ministry of Health internal investigation detailed allegations involving government medicines at the Central Medical Stores (CMS) in Matsapha. A statistical clerk based at Mbabane Government Hospital was reportedly arrested after government medicines were allegedly found at his rented flat. The investigation also examined allegations involving two CMS employees. The final court outcomes were not established in the reports reviewed.
Concerns about medicine management have also extended to expired stock and shortages. In June 2026, a Parliamentary Select Committee inquiry heard that medicines and medical supplies valued at approximately E110 million had expired in storage. The inquiry highlighted concerns about procurement planning, inventory management and delays in the procurement process.
Meanwhile, in July 2025, this publication reported that MPs had called for CCTV cameras and improved tracking systems at major government hospitals to help monitor medicines and curb theft.
In August 2025, the newspaper also reported concerns about medicine shortages and the growth of illegal pharmacies. However, the existence of shortages, expired stock and procurement irregularities does not establish that theft caused every instance of medicine unavailability.
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