Lobamba Lomdzala MP Marwick Khumalo says it is clear that there is a movement with an agenda to cripple and destroy The Luke Commission (TLC) and that agenda has now reached Parliament as MPs are being pushed towards a negative narrative about TLC.
This was during the debate on the motion by Matsanjeni South MP Sabelo Ndlangamandla and Kubuta MP Masiphula Mamba, who asked the minister of health to investigate allegations of exorbitant fees charged at TLC when providing medical services to Emaswati, despite substantial government support to TLC which includes a E50 million subvention allocated in the 2025/26 financial year. The motion was debated on Monday.
Khumalo said he was not sure if he should appreciate the motion, since the agenda was that they were being dragged into matters that were negative. He stated that it is good for the minister of health to conduct an investigation, bearing in mind that there are those who are against the institution.
“It is incumbent upon the mover to say that the facility was given E50 million without conducting research to verify if the money reached the facility. Do your own research and do not feed us things that are not the truth, while we know that the E50 million is nowhere near. The matter has been on the table for three years, but the facility never received E50 million,” he said.
He added that the issue of medication was also part of the issues that were in the report tabled in Parliament.
Khumalo said they should not think that just because things suit them, they could then move to the other side. He said for purposes of political experience, this was wrong, as many people suffered while TLC carried them and now Parliament is doing nothing.
This prompted a heated debate as the mover of the motion, Sabelo Ndlangamandla, said he had mentioned that TLC was a good facility and no one was fighting against it. He said he had done his research, stating that E50 million was paid twice to the facility. He said another E25 million was paid, with only E25 million still outstanding.
Meanwhile Mhlume MP Sifiso Magagula said there were no movements on the issue, as MPs were only frustrated that TLC was now expensive for locals. He said they do not want to shut down the facility, but stated that the facility should be affordable.
HEALTH MINISTRY’S SILENCE TOO LOUD
The Ministry of Health should be saying something on the TLC issue according to the Ministry of Health Portfolio Committee Chairperson Sandile Nxumalo.
Nxumalo said TLC had an MoU with government through the Ministry of Health and there were ethics that should be followed.
He said it was disturbing to learn that there was a ministry of health, while people were allegedly being injected with animal injection.
He said the ministry should have immediately attended to the issue before it was raised at Senate. He added saying the minister of health should say something, as the facility was supervised by the ministry.
“They should run like headless chickens so that they get the facts on the allegations that are being raised. If the facility gives people animal injection, the ministry should not be quiet. I do not think that the minister and the ministry are quiet on the issue, as they have the right to withdraw the licences given the allegations we are getting. In some countries the minister resigns if such happens,” he said.
Meanwhile Shiselweni II MP Bhekithemba Bhembe says the truth about what was really happening at TLC will be revealed after the investigations.
Bhembe said TLC came with many good services in the country such that they gained public adoration. He said due to the funds that they received through donor funding that were halted, the House of Assembly made alternatives to assist.
He said he was part of the people that were shocked by the fees that were now charged at the facility after his relative visited TLC, stating that the fees were no longer affordable for Emaswati.
He said what was shocking was that the funds were not released to TLC, stating that the truth will be heard from the minister of health about what was really happening there. He said they trust the minister of health to regulate the hospitals in the country and ensure they were still doing the right thing.
‘TLC ALLEGATIONS MAY LEAD TO LAWSUITS’
Allegations on TLC may lead to lawsuits, according to Nhlambeni MP Manzi Zwane.
He said the MPs needed time to debate the motion because some of the allegations that were made public were concerning and might not have been in line with the advice of the attorney general even though there were statements that have been issued.
Zwane said if all the people who consumed the medication from TLC can sue government, a blunder would happen. He said the minister should consider this in his investigations.
“In the 2025 financial year, TLC received funds in May. We did not subvent the facility while their costs to run the facility were E448 million and we are asking ourselves where they get the money. We need to find a solution on how we assist the facility because we need it,” he said.
Zwane added that there were oxygen plants that were at TLC that were not being utilised by government. He said they were concerned about the relationship that government had with SwaziOxygen.
“There are people who do not want to see the health system improving and being better than what it was before. There are people who have been positioned on the transformation of the health system. There are people who are part of the board who are going to collapse the health system, which is very painful for Emaswati,” he said.
Zwane added that they will be investigating these allegations, but stated that the truth was that the MPs who were representing the nation were contributing to its downfall. He said as Emaswati, they should be working towards helping the facility that was collapsing so that the nation can receive good health care.
