Former Gauteng Health MEC and former health officials in court for allegedly defrauding the department
7 December 2021
Brian Hlongwa, former Gauteng Health MEC appeared at the Johannesburg Magistrates’ Court alongside seven individuals and six entities, facing 258 charges ranging from fraud, corruption, money laundering and racketeering.
All accused were released on bail ranging from R20 000 to R50 000 each, with conditions attached to their release, amongst them, that they handover their travelling documents and that they should not leave the Republic of South Africa without permission from the investigating officer.
The case stems from a Special Investigating Unit report into the affairs of the Department of Health at the time Hlongwa was MEC responsible for the Department of Health (between 2006 to 2009). The report detailed alleged corruption in the awarding of tenders to his acquittances, amongst them, Richard John Payne (accused 7).
Payne and Hlongwa were acquittances and business partners who knew one another from the time when Hlongwa was a councillor in the City of Johannesburg (CoJ). 3P Consulting (Pty) Ltd (accused 10), a company in which Payne held joint ownership and directorship together with Kingdom Lolwane (accused 6), was contracted to do work for the CoJ.