DA welcomes suspension of Tembisa Hospital staff implicated in corrupt payments

8 August 2023

The Democratic Alliance (DA) welcomes the suspension of the nine officials at the Tembisa Hospital who were recently still working despite the SIU recommending in December last year that they be disciplined over irregular contracts to fraudulent companies.

This was revealed today by Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi in an oral reply to my questions at today’s sitting of the Gauteng Legislature.

According to Lesufi, they have been put on precautionary suspension but he could not give me the date on which they were suspended.

I suspect action was only taken because I previously raised the issue with Health and Wellness MEC Nomantu Nkomo-Ralehoko, and now the Premier was pushed to act because of my questions to him on this matter.

Lesufi says an external service provider was appointed to do the disciplinary process, and he is committed to implementing all the SIU recommendations concerning corruption at the Tembisa Hospital.

He also claimed he was “personally monitoring” it, and that witnesses were being protected. Furthermore, the Justice Department was being continually reminded to process the Presidential Proclamation to extend the SIU investigation at the hospital.

The DA will continue to pressure the provincial government to speedily bring to justice all those involved in the corrupt activities that whistleblower Babita Deokaran wanted to stop before she was murdered.

Her family are suffering from all the delays, including slow progress in convicting her murderers and finding those who hired them.

Lesufi needs to dispel suspicions that the foot-dragging is to protect certain ANC politicians who benefit from the massive corruption at Tembisa Hospital.

Issued by Jack Bloom, DA Gauteng Shadow Health MEC, 8 August 2023