MPs call for EPTC forensic audit

The House of Assembly Select Committee has called for a forensic audit of the Eswatini Posts and Telecommunications Corporation (EPTC), amid alleged discovery of corruption, flouting of procurement procedures as well as intimidation and threatening of staff by management.

The select committee uncovered gross flouting of procurement procedures through, among others, prevalence of single source procurement practices, unauthorised land transfer as well as inconsistent benefit package calculations when souring staff loans.

The forensic audit will identify and expose potential misconduct by management and third parties of any allegations of fraud, bribery and, or corruption.

This was detailed in a report by a seven-member select committee that was tasked to investigate the alleged impending downsizing at EPTC. The committee chaired by Mtfongwaneni MP Nathi Hlophe’s enquiry extended to assessing the implications of the Corporation’s restructuring programme on various categories of staff and verifying compliance with approved procurement procedures.

The report was tabled during the House of Assembly sitting yesterday. It is still subject to debate and adoption by the House. During their investigations, the committee established that EPTC was not undergoing any restructuring or downsizing exercise.

The committee also found out that the organisation had not effectively communicated its strategic plan to all levels of staff. As a result, many employees were not fully aware of the organisation’s strategic objective, which has led to a lack of alignment between daily operations and long-term goals.

“This communication gap has created uncertainty and reduced the overall effectiveness and cohesion of the workforce,” reads part of the report.
The inquiry into the management practices at EPTC has revealed a pervasive culture of fear that is employed as a leadership strategy.

Interviews and investigations conducted with employees indicated that management frequently resorted to intimidation, threats of job loss, and punitive measures to enforce staff compliance. Moreover, the committee noted that there were meetings between the managing director and union representatives which took place without transparency and adversely contributed to internal distrust.

Further, EPTC facilitated a five-year loan guaranteed personal loan scheme agreement with Nedbank for its employees while knowing their contracts would expire in six months.

The report also accused the MD and board of directors of flouting good governance principles as provided under Part III of the King IV Report on good governance by their failure to disclose benefits and sponsorship they received from the current supplier.