Johannesburg - The Special Investigative Unit (SIU) says it welcomes action taken against nine Tembisa Hospital officials involved in alleged irregular contracts at the hospital.
Yesterday, spokesperson for the SIU, Kaizer Kganyago said the disciplinary action taken against the eight officials is based on findings and recommendations made by the SIU.
This comes after the Gauteng Department of Health announced that it had suspended six of the nine officials that were fingered in the SIU report, while the deputy director of the supply chain subsequently retired.
Another official, who was a chief physiotherapist, is reported to have resigned, while a seasonal medical officer stopped working at the hospital.
Kganyago said the disciplinary action comes after the SIU entered into a secondment agreement with the Gauteng provincial government to investigate allegations of corruption, fraud and maladministration with the hospital's supply chain processes.
"The SIU handed over a preliminary investigation report report (to) the Premier of Gauteng in December 2022. Based on the findings of the report, the SIU had since motivated for the proclamation to further investigate supply chain management at the Tembisa Hospital.
"Once the proclamation is signed, and gazetted, and the SIU investigation points to undue benefit, the SIU will pursue officials who resigned in the face of an investigation or disciplinary action, by freezing their pension benefit and institute civil litigation to recover financial losses suffered by state institutions," Kganyago said.
In August 2021, Babita Deokaran was gunned down after she flagged irregular contracts amounting to just under R1 billion at the hospital.
This week, The Star reported that the Gauteng Health Department had taken disciplinary action against those involved in the siphoning off of funds from the hospital.
Former Tembisa Hospital CEO, Ashely Mthunzi, who was initially implicated in the irregular contracts at the hospital has since been vindicated after the investigation could not link him to any allegations of fraud and corruption.
It is reported that at the time of the scandal, Mthunzi was not in the employ of Tembisa Hospital.
According to Gauteng Health MEC, Nomantu Nkomo-Relehoko, there is a restricted supplier and tender defaulter report (RSTDR) that should blacklist companies involved in tender fraud.
"A Treasury requirement is that only confirmed cases be reported to avoid litigation, and the department awaits final council and SIU reports before reporting the companies," she said.
According to Gauteng Health spokesperson, Motaletale Modiba, of the nine employees, six officials have been suspended as of July 10, 2023.
"The department will obviously further consider its options in relation to those that have already terminated their services to enable disciplinary proceedings to get under way. An investigator has since been appointed to further deal with the matter," Modiba said.
The Star