COSATU is stunned by the extent of corruption uncovered at Tembisa Hospital

August 23, 2024

The Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) is stunned at the extent of corruption at Tembisa Hospital after more fraudulent transactions totalling as much as R3 billion were unearthed.

Today marks the third anniversary of the death of whistleblower, Babita Deokaran. Deokaran was the Chief Director: Financial Accounting at the Gauteng Department of Health, she died in a hail of bullets outside her home a mere three weeks after she flagged fraudulent transactions amounting to R850 million at Tembisa Hospital.

A Special Investigating Unit (SIU) probe has revealed a further 5 500 fraudulent transactions amounting to as much as R3 billion, which translates to a mountain when compared to the R850 million she flagged before she was assassinated.

In following up on Deokaran’s initial findings, the SIU has unearthed a complex scheme whose sole intent was to extract as much money as possible from the hospital with the aid of malleable officials who awarded thousands of contracts.

While the SIU’s probe is progressing, the investigation into who ordered her killing has stalled. Last year saw the six foot soldiers responsible for her murder jailed, but the mastermind is still at large.

COSATU commends the SIU on the work it has done to expose the extent of the rot at Tembisa Hospital, and by so doing ensure that Deokaran’s death was not for nought, that her memory continues to be honoured as a symbol of what an upstanding civil servant should be.

There’s little comfort to be derived from the knowledge that the department instituted disciplinary action against five Tembisa Hospital officials based on the SIU’s findings, because only one was dismissed, two resigned, and two are appealing their sanction of misconduct.

The Federation calls on the department to expedite the appeals process of two of the officials and to lay criminal charges against the three who are no longer in its employ. This will send a strong message to other corrupt officials that looting state institutions will not be tolerated.

COSATU also pleads with the department to finalise the disciplinary process against Gauteng Health CFO Lerato Madyo, who failed to act when Deokaran reported the fraudulent transactions at the hospital to her. Instead, the payments that Deokaran had stopped based on her discovery, were released soon after her murder.

Doekaran’s murder demonstrates that more needs to be done to protect whistleblowers if we are to eradicate the scourge of corruption.

Finally, the Federation calls on the police to leave no stone unturned in the pursuit of the mastermind behind Deokaran’s assassination. This is the only way her family will find peace.

Statement issued by Zanele Sabela, COSATU National Spokesperson, 23 August 2024