Mbabane – Businesswoman Zinhle Matsebula has filed a E63 million lawsuit against Fundudzi Forensic Services over claims linked to the national drug shortage probe. Cerium Scientific, owned by Matsebula, argues that Fundudzi issued defamatory findings that damaged the company’s operations, market credibility and reputation.
The lawsuit, lodged in the High Court, also lists the auditor general, the minister of finance and the attorney general as defendants, though Cerium says it is not seeking damages from them. Their inclusion is reportedly due to their official roles in the sequence of events: the auditor general authorised Fundudzi’s appointment, the finance minister tabled the report in Parliament, and the attorney general was involved for procedural reasons.
Cerium’s main grievance targets Fundudzi, alleging the firm acted unlawfully and caused measurable reputational harm. The company claims the forensic report wrongly suggested it colluded with suspended Ministry of Health Principal Procurement Officer Slindidle Dlamini and benefited improperly from that relationship. The report also allegedly recommended blacklisting Cerium under procurement rules, a move Matsebula’s company describes as baseless and reckless, causing significant business consequences.
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