Who else was involved in Gauteng PPE contracts scandal?

16 August 2020

Note to Editors: Please find the attached soundbite by Jack Bloom MPL, DA Gauteng Shadow MEC for Health

The net continues to widen in the Gauteng PPE contracts scandal after the Public Service Commission’s bombshell report on the appointment of the Gauteng Health Department’s former Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Kabelo Lehloenya.

According to the PSC’s Mike Seloane, a forensic investigation found that her appointment was irregular and unlawful when she was head-hunted for the post in 2018. Furthermore, she did not get a security clearance and was paid the salary of a deputy director-general instead of a minimum entry-level salary.

My view is that there was surely a wide complicity in her appointment and the alleged rigging of multimillion rand contracts for PPE equipment with fishy companies.

We need to know why former Gauteng Health MEC Gwen Ramokgopa and the current Head of Department Professor Mac Lukhele. approved her appointment as CFO.

Lehloenya was clearly politically connected as she was appointed to the board of Denel in May last year.

It is very suspicious that the Department insisted that she resigned for “personal reasons” when they knew that she was about to be investigated by the SIU on the PPE contracts.

Premier David Makhura cannot escape political accountability despite his frenzied attempts to distance himself from the scandal. Why was he silent when he knew that she did not resign for personal reasons which I questioned at the time?

I suspect a sophisticated criminal syndicate with high-level political collusion which has probably been looting health funds for many years.

It is incredible that little has changed since the R2 billion looting spree in the Department 12 years ago under former Health MEC Brian Hlongwa who has still not been arrested and charged in court. This is why corruption continues as we typically have endless investigations but no jail for the culprits.

Issued by Jack Bloom, DA Gauteng Shadow MEC for Health, 16 August 2020