EPTC suppliers sponsor MD, board chair’s international trips

Possible conflicts of interest and breaches of government policies and transparency have been flagged by the Auditor General (AG), who has revealed startling information about Eswatini Posts and Telecommunications Corporation (EPTC) executive management and board of directors’ trips allegedly sponsored by suppliers.

An audit report conducted by the AG, Timothy Matsebula, dated May 5, which has also been tabled in Parliament together with the EPTC Select Committee report, reveals that active suppliers sponsored international trips that were taken by the entity’s management and board.

According to the parliamentary document, the AG noted in his report that the EPTC board chairperson and managing director attended an international ICT Expo in Spain from February 24 to March 1, 2025.

“Their travel, accommodation and associated expenses were fully sponsored by one of EPTC’s active suppliers. In addition, the entire Board received transport sponsorship from Huawei to visit its Johannesburg technology hub. These trips were not declared through a formal conflict-of-interest process and there is no evidence that approval was sought from the Board, the minister, or an ethics committee,” reads the audit.

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Additionally, the AG further revealed that these trips occurred while the sponsoring entities were actively doing business with EPTC, raising serious concerns about conflicts of interest, compromised procurement impartiality, and ethical lapses in public governance.

At the time the suppliers sponsored the trips, the AG explained in the audit that while EPTC may not have had a formal gifts or sponsorships policy, there were frameworks that should have applied.

These include the Common Law Fiduciary Duties of directors and public officers, requiring them to avoid conflicts of interest and act in the best interest of the institution.

The second piece of legislation was the Public Procurement and Anti-Corruption Standards under the Prevention of Corruption Act, 2006, which prohibit accepting gifts, benefits, or advantages that may influence decision-making, and the good governance obligations under the public enterprises framework, which require full disclosure of all outside benefits and transparent approval processes.

Recommendations
Following the shocking reveal by the AG, the report contains a litany of recommendations made by the AG.

Firstly, it has been recommended that a further investigation should be conducted into the suppliers who sponsored these trips.

The investigation, according to the document prepared by the AG, should establish:

– Which suppliers funded the travel
– The total value of the benefits
– Whether these were disclosed or approved internally

Secondly, the investigation is expected to establish whether procurement decisions were influenced by the sponsorships, especially if any contracts were awarded to those suppliers around the same time.

“If EPTC officials involved in the trips had authority over supplier selection or failed to declare a conflict of interest. Whether the Board discussed, approved, or ignored these trips and who knew about them. Whether legal breaches occurred and if repayment or disciplinary action is justified. If the sponsoring suppliers acted improperly and should be sanctioned or disqualified from future bids.”

Further, the entity has been tasked to immediately develop and adopt a formal gifts, hospitality, and sponsorships policy aligned with public sector standards.

All board members and executives should be required to submit retrospective written disclosures of any supplier-funded travel, accommodation, or gifts received within the past five years.

About EPTC
The Eswatini Posts and Telecommunications Corporation (EPTC) is a Category A public enterprise established by the Eswatini Posts and Telecommunication Act 11 of 1983.

It operates under the Ministry of Information, Communications, and Technology and comprises four business units:

– Eswatini Post
– Eswatini Telecom
– Phutfumani Couriers
– The National Contact Centre

Eswatini Post, as the designated postal operator under the umbrella of EPTC, provides a broad range of essential services that go far beyond the traditional delivery of mail.

These include domestic and international parcel services, registered mail, and express courier solutions through its Phutfumani Couriers division.

In addition, Eswatini Post facilitates financial services, including money transfers, utility bill payments, and the sale of airtime and government revenue stamps, often acting as the primary financial access point in rural and underserved areas.

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