Gauteng Health MEC details action against officials in Tembisa Hospital

Gauteng Health MEC Nomantu Nkomo-Ralehoko has revealed that the department has acted against some of the officials involved in the R2 billion Tembisa Hospital corruption scandal.

Nkomo-Ralehoko was speaking during a media briefing by the Special Investigating Unit (SIU), which on Monday, made public the interim report into the corruption at the hospital.

The SIU report revealed that over R2 billion was looted at Tembisa Hospital, with three companies allegedly linked to Vusi "Cat" Matlala and 41 others said to be linked to Morgan Maumela being implicated.

Some of the activities were flagged by Babita Doekaran, who lifted the lead on suspicious payments of R850 million, before she was murdered in 2021.

"Some of the officials have run away. Most of them have resigned and we have acted against 11 officials who the SIU has identified. We have recommended disciplinary processes and we have laid criminal charges. Some officials are still under investigation," Nkomo-Ralehoko said.

Nkomo-Ralehoko said she since she took office, they have dealt with tender corruption and tightened controls in the supply chain systems.

"When I arrived there in October 2022, we tightened controls as the Department of Health, especially with supply chain processes, which are in line with the legislation and regulatory framework to ensure that we mitigate against corruption, irregular expenditure, and maladministration while fostering accountability," she added.

SUI head, Advocate Andy Mothibi, joined by Minister of Health Dr Aaron Motsoaledi, Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi, and Nkomo-Ralehoko, said there has to be more consequence management to ensure that corruption is rooted out completely.

Mothibi indicated that when the investigation started following an instruction by the Gauteng Premier's office in 2022, around R850 million was believed to have vanished, with some of the officials pocketing up to R30 million.

"One official received R30 million. Another received R1.3 million. The focus is on consequence management. It cannot be business as usual. The recovery of losses and blacklisting of these companies that have been fronting ... and their directors must be held accountable, and we need to backlist these directors as well. Regulators must ensure consequence management, and we want this throughout the system. This perpetual impunity must be dealt with," Mothibi said.

Mothibi revealed that the syndicates were so brazen that even losing bidders benefited from the corruption that dominated the Tembisa Hospital tender system.

“We have uncovered extensive corruption. The investigation reveals a pattern of corruption by officials and service providers, significantly undermining the intended purpose of allocated funds. These syndicates used shelf companies, and sometimes even losing companies were paid through these shelf companies."

He said a former senior official at Tembisa Hospital had authorised the appointment of non-compliant bidders.

"This was clear, and it raised questions about the lack of oversight from the previous CEO’s office, given the frequent approvals of requests for quotations. Tembisa Hospital SCM officials requested purchase orders for these non-compliant bidders from the Gauteng Department of Health, yet no concerns were raised regarding the unusually high number of POs (purchase orders) processed,” said Mothibi.