SIYABONGA SITHOLE
The DA in Gauteng says it will grill Gauteng Health MEC Nomathemba Mokgethi over reports of corruption and splurging of Tembisa Hospital payments which was first brought under scrutiny by murdered whistleblower Babita Deokaran over a year ago.
Last week, a News24 investigation reported that the hospital spent over R500 000 on the procurement of skinny jeans. This resulted in Gauteng Premier David Makhura suspending hospital CEO Ashely Mthunzi and CFO Lerato Madyo. Makhura also announced that an investigation would be conducted to establish the extent of corruption and irregular contracts at the hospital.
DA spokesperson on health Jack Bloom said he would be leading the grilling at the Gauteng legislature on Tuesday when the MEC is set to appear.
Bloom said the party would like to know more about the request for a forensic investigation into the payments made by the hospital and other issues related to irregular payments.
“After much delay, the department’s CFO, Lerato Madyo, has been suspended as well as the Tembisa Hospital CEO Ashley Mthunzi, and Gauteng Premier David Makhura has announced that an investigation will be done.The burning question is why a proper investigation was not done a year ago after Babita Deokaran was murdered. We are talking big money – R850 million of payments to fishy companies for overpriced goods, including R500 000 for 100 leather armchairs, facecloths at R230 apiece, and 200 skinny jeans for young girls at R2 500 each,” Bloom said.
In a radio interview, Mthunzi argued that the skinny jeans were purchased in error instead of surgical equipment, saying that the wrong product code had been entered.
Bloom said the Health MEC must be held accountable for these dodgy contracts and payments by the hospital. “The DA will continue to press for full accountability and decisive measures to root out corrupt officials who steal money while hospital patients suffer from poor service,” he said.