Lucrative bids at Tembisa Hospital for firms linked to ANC

In yet another cover-up of the Tembisa Hospital corruption, The Star has learnt that some of the companies which received huge tenders at Tembisa Hospital in 2020 are linked to the ANC.

In June, 2020 a company called Vuka Solutions, owned by a member of the ANC’s Free State provincial executive committee, received a PPE tender from Tembisa Hospital.

This follows revelations that Sello Sekhokho, ANC treasurer-general in Ekurhuleni, landed his three companies: Kaizen Projects, Nokokhokho Medical Supplies and Bollanoto Security R2.8 million in contracts in 2019; R4.2m in 2020, and R7.5m in 2021, respectively.

Last week, the Gauteng health department slammed DA health spokesperson and member of the provincial legislature Jack Bloom for what they termed “sensational allegations”, suggesting that suspended Tembisa CEO Ashley Mthunzi was hired while having a disciplinary record.

It turns out that the statement alleging that Mthunzi was on disciplinary review at his previous employer before taking over the reins at Tembisa Hospital are fake and the symphony of tenders were disbursed in 2019, 2020 and early 2021, before Mthunzi’s appointment.

In June, disciplinary action was taken against three senior officials implicated in the Digital Vibes saga. The Department of Health said Dr Anban Pillay was found guilty on one of the four charges levelled against him, while Popo Maja was found guilty on two of the four charges against him.

Shireen Pardesi was found guilty of one of the two charges against her. The Digital Vibes scandal also implicated former health minister Zweli Mkhize.

The Department of Health said the three were suspended following investigations by an independent forensic audit firm and the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) into the awarding of communications contracts to Digital Vibes.

Police Minister Bheki Cele said there were no suspects in the investigation into corruption at the Health Department. Cele said this in response to DA MP Joe McGluwa, who asked why there had been a delay in investigating senior management allegedly involved in corruption within the Gauteng health department.

Cele said he could not point out any suspects and the investigation was at an early stage. The Independent Labour and Allied Workers Union (Ilawu) has slammed Cele, saying he won’t act against the suspects at the health department “because they are from his own party, the ANC”.

“The investigation the minister is talking about is the investigation of the R800 million siphoned by the ANC’s health department. It is not just about hospitals and clinics… He can’t name the suspects because they are lieutenants of his party.

“The party is using the CEO as a scapegoat. We have seen it at the Bheki Mlangeni District Hospital, which we refer to as Avalon, where people die… Now we see it at Tembisa Hospital, the union said.

“The health officials, including the MEC and the premier must be investigated. The silliness is for us to expect an ANC deployee to independently investigate another ANC deployee,” Ilawu said.

Questions have been sent to the ANC’s Free State provincial executive committee and the implicated parties. This is a developing story