Mbabane – Funduzi director Zakhele Dlamini says he has survived three assassination attempts linked to his investigation into the drug shortage scandal and the alleged looting of public funds by companies that secured government drug supply contracts but failed to deliver.
Dlamini said when he began the investigation, he did not know the individuals involved, however he was later warned by people he knew in the country that he had “irked the wrong people” and that some implicated individuals “play dirty” and could “take him out.” He said he conducted a background check on the person he was warned about and found that the individual was well connected and powerful, but he was not fazed as he was standing for the truth and would not back down.
First incident: Government rented vehicle tails him
Dlamini said the first incident occurred when an Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) officer called him to a meeting at Corner Plaza in Ezulwini. The meeting lasted less than five minutes, with the officer, whose name is known to this publication but withheld for ethical reasons, telling him the commission appreciated his report as it was instrumental in their investigation. Dlamini questioned why he had been summoned from Pretoria to Eswatini for information that could have been shared over the phone.
After the meeting, he said he walked to Pick n Pay at The Crescent to get some snacks and noticed a Toyota Corolla with GP registration following him slowly. While he was inside the shop, he observed that the driver also entered, pretending to be shopping. When Dlamini went to the till to pay, the driver also proceeded to an adjacent till. Dlamini said he then pretended to have forgotten something and returned into the shop, and the driver did the same, confirming his suspicion that indeed he was being followed.
He did not immediately return to his car but walked around before calling the ACC officer who had called him to the meeting while he was near the bus waiting room by Galp Filling Station, informing him that he suspected he was being followed. Dlamini said the officer did not even sound shocked, he simply told him to be careful and ended the call. The Corolla, which had been parked nearby, sped off two minutes later without even applying brakes for the speed humps. He said he then called a taxi, left his car at Corner Plaza, took a flight back home and only returned the next day to fetch the vehicle because he was unsure whether it had been tampered with.
Dlamini said when he exited the shop he pretended to be on a call while taking a picture of the driver, the car and its registration. He sent the images to his contacts in Pretoria and asked them to check who the car belonged to, and they told him the car belonged to a rental company and it was leased to the government of Eswatini.
Second incident: Bump in Mbabane parking lot
According to Dlamini the second incident happened at the Pick n Pay parking lot in Mbabane. While sitting in his car, another vehicle bumped him from behind. The driver quickly approached him and said, “Sorry sir for bumping you, can we go and speak about this aside so that we do not draw unnecessary attention to ourselves.” Dlamini questioned why the matter should be discussed away from the scene instead of calling the police, but the man insisted on moving away to avoid attention.
Dlamini said he noticed another man inside the car that bumped him, closely monitoring the situation. As an investigator, he said he is always scanning his environment, making it easy for him to realise something was wrong. Even the man’s tone and behaviour were suspicious. He decided to leave without waiting for the police, drove down Malagwane Hill to confuse them, turned at Mvutjini and headed straight to Oshoek Border Gate.
Third incident: High-speed chase from Oshoek border gate
The third incident, he said, occurred when he crossed into South Africa after having a meeting in Eswatini. On the South African side he noticed a Honda Ballade with MP registration following him. When he sped up, the Honda matched his speed and caught up easily, surprising him because he was driving a BMW and believed the Honda should not have kept pace unless it was deliberately following him.
Near Warerton, he encountered two slow moving timber trucks and positioned his vehicle between them. The Honda also slowed down behind the second truck. He waited for it to overtake but it maintained a slow pace behind the truck. Dlamini eventually pulled away from the trucks and drove at full speed toward the Caroline road. He said the Honda eventually stopped because it could not keep up when he drove his vehicle at full potential.
Ongoing surveillance
Dlamini said there have been other incidents where he noticed people monitoring his movements even in Pretoria, but he is not fazed. He said he does not understand how he landed in this trouble but he is standing his ground and will not capitulate to the threats being made against his life.
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