TLC Responds to Eswatini Observer Questionnaire (Part 1)
29 November 2025 | Sidvokodvo, Eswatini
On 28 November 2025, The Luke Commission received a four-question questionnaire from the Eswatini Observer. In the interest of transparency and public clarity, TLC is sharing the Observer’s questions and our responses.
At a time when misleading narratives can distort public understanding, we welcome opportunities to answer directly and openly. This post includes responses to the first three questions from the Observer’s questionnaire. A follow-up post will address the remaining question.
The Luke Commission’s recently announced engagement of Funduzi Forensic Services for legal and advisory work. In order to ensure accuracy and fairness, we kindly request your response to the following questions.
1. Following your public announcement and subsequent confirmation by Zakhele Dlamini during an interview with this newspaper, could you please confirm the engagement of Funduzi Forensic Services by TLC. When did this engagement formally commence?
As stated in our public press release last week (https://www.lukecommission.org/press-statements/nov23-2025-lbjyf) The Luke Commission has a diversified legal, advisory, security, and forensic support team drawn from Eswatini and South Africa as well as Europe and the United States. TLC’s local legal and advisory team includes Kwanele Magagula, Zakhele Dlamini, and Advocate Boyce Mkhize.
Background:
Mr. Zakhele Dlamini, Director of Funduzi Forensic Services Eswatini and DW Wealth Consultants South Africa, was introduced to TLC by reputable journalists in the Kingdom after leading the national forensic investigation into pharmaceutical procurement and distribution. That investigation exposed long-standing weaknesses that have cost the country both lives and public resources. At the time, Mr. Dlamini had no prior connection or interaction with TLC.
Journalists approached him because they wanted an independent and credible assessment of what they had seen at TLC: efficient operations, digital advancement, clinical excellence, and systems capable of addressing precisely the challenges highlighted in the national investigation. Acting entirely on his own initiative, Mr. Dlamini requested and conducted a full visit to TLC’s Miracle Campus.
During that visit, he observed globally recognized digital, clinical, and supply-chain systems that align with international best practice. He reached the same conclusion that many global experts have independently reached: if these systems were implemented nationally, Eswatini’s recurring drug shortages and supply-chain failures would be significantly reduced. Resistance to these reforms has been well-documented over many years.
Following his visit, and after repeatedly observing factual distortions and harmful inaccuracies about TLC in certain local reporting, Mr. Dlamini offered professional guidance on a pro bono basis for over a year. His support arose from professional integrity and concern for national well-being—not from any prior relationship with TLC. Only after a sustained period of voluntary support did a formal advisory engagement arise, reflecting the natural progression of a professional relationship built on evidence, independence, and trust.
2. Could you clarify whether Funduzi is being engaged for a specific legal matter or if the firm has now been appointed as TLC’s standing legal representative?
TLC’s legal, advisory, forensic, security, and governance teams operate collaboratively and are engaged on defined mandates as required. Funduzi Forensic Services is engaged on matters where their expertise is relevant to safeguarding TLC’s work, its mission, and the vulnerable patients who depend on it.
Given the documented pattern of inaccurate and harmful reporting by certain local media outlets—including issues highlighted by international publications such as the recent Washington Post front-page article—TLC’s legal, governance, and security teams monitor local public reporting for accuracy, fairness, and potential security concerns. This is particularly important where previous coverage has included xenophobic or inflammatory framing that could endanger staff, patients, or the critical services TLC provides to the most vulnerable.
As formal legal processes are already underway concerning prior inaccurate reporting, TLC will not comment on issues that intersect with active legal or security review. TLC reserves all rights to pursue appropriate legal remedies where reporting may lack fairness, justice and community building.
TLC remains committed to transparency, fairness, and the protection of public trust, and welcomes any reporting conducted in that same spirit. Unfortunately, this standard has not been upheld locally in most instances, including the present engagement.
In the past month alone, TLC has hosted major public events, achieved internationally recognised milestones, and continued to provide world class healthcare – all of which has received little to no acknowledgment in some local reporting. These include:
· The international ISO accreditation of the TLC Medical Laboratory — the first hospital-based laboratory in Eswatini to achieve this level of accreditation, joining only Lancet (at EPH and Mbabane Clinic), and the National Referral Laboratory for HIV and TB.
· Global recognition in London for digital transformation in healthcare at the Africa Sustainable Futures Awards, sponsored by the Financial Times and the World Bank Group.
· Last week, multiple world-class surgeons and TLC’s local team performed highly specialised procedures at TLC, including retina surgeries that patients ordinarily travel to South Africa for, and an iris implant procedure so rare it is typically performed only once a year at the University of California’s training programme.
· More than 30 hip and knee replacements were completed in October through TLC’s regional surgical training programme, where surgeons from four African nations trained on-site at TLC alongside TLC’s team and a team of world-class specialist surgeons from the United States.
These are the kinds of advancements, innovations, and national contributions that could and should be highlighted in fair and balanced reporting. Their consistent omission, while disproportionate attention is given to unfounded allegations or mischaracterisations, speaks to a broader pattern that undermines informed public understanding.
3. On social media, TLC has reported that unknown individuals, allegedly claiming to be from the Sheriff’s Office, attempted to serve court documents at TLC.
Are you able to confirm whether TLC has established who the individuals claimed they intended to serve the papers on?
As stated in our official press statement (https://www.lukecommission.org/press-statements/nov23-2025-lbjyf) — which remains our standard communication channel now given the current media environment that has not been objective or fact‑based.
To date:
TLC has not received any official court documents.
The Sheriff’s Office has not issued any formal communication to TLC.
TLC has escalated the incident in writing to the appropriate authorities including the Sheriff’s office, the Clerk of Courts, and NATCOM.
For clarity, public record, and ease of reference, TLC refers you to the full press statement published on our website (https://www.lukecommission.org/press-statements/nov23-2025-lbjyf) or the summary below:
On 13 November 2025 at nearly 7pm, three unidentified individuals entered the TLC Events Centre during a major public event and claimed to be from the Sheriff’s Office. Their behaviour was inconsistent with lawful procedure: they arrived after hours in the dark, refused to identify themselves, and attempted to serve legal papers at a public event attended by dignitaries, international guests, and over 700 people.
TLC security contained the situation, and uniformed police officers present for dignitary protection were not aware of an official operation. The incident created unnecessary safety risks on a hospital campus where dignitaries, the public, patients and staff were present.
Proper service of court documents must occur during business hours, at a lawyer’s chambers or designated address, and by identifiable, authorised officers. Because the individuals refused to provide identification, TLC cannot verify whether they were legitimate officers or acting without lawful mandate.
TLC emphasises that any future attempts to bypass lawful procedure or compromise safety will be treated as serious violations. TLC remains committed to transparency, lawful process, and its mandate to serve the nation. All legal matters must follow proper identification, established procedure, and coordination with counsel and law enforcement where safety is implicated.
NB: TLC encourages responsible, contextualised reporting grounded in verified information. We remain fully committed to cooperating with journalists who uphold professional standards of accuracy, fairness, and public interest. As a national healthcare institution serving thousands of Emaswati each month, TLC has a duty to ensure that public information regarding our work is factual and not misleading. We therefore expect that any reporting arising from this questionnaire will reflect the full context provided above.
Contact Information
For VIPs: +268 7613 8814 / +268 7923 8814
For Media Inquiries:
Lindani Sifundza, Communications Director
📞 +268 7808 7200
📧 comms@lukecommission.org
