WHY HAS GAUTENG HEALTH OFFICIAL BEEN SUSPENDED?

In typical fashion, the Gauteng Health Department refuses to give details why it has suspended Mr Abey Marokoane, Chief Director of Risk management and internal Control.

According to Gauteng Health MEC Qedani Mahlangu, he was suspended after police notified the department of an investigation into alleged misconduct.

Marokoane is currently out on bail after being arrested on November 27 and appearing in the Specialised Commercial Crimes Court in Pretoria the next day.

It appears that he is being charged with alleged corruption relating to hospital security contracts in the West Rand. The West Rand Security Forum says that one company was awarded a tender to provide services to five hospitals and three people from the same family were awarded contracts for 10 hospitals.

I suspect more corruption in the awarding of hospital security contracts this year worth R265 million, and have submitted an application under the Promotion of Access to Information Act for details about the award process.

We still do not know why the department's Chief Financial Officer Ndoda Biyela.was suspended in August this year.

The suspension of yet another senior official shows that the corruption rot continues at this department.

The department should tell us why officials have been suspended and ensure that discipline is speeded up so that money is not wasted by paying them during this process.

Statement issued by Jack Bloom MPL, DA Gauteng Shadow Health MEC, December 10 2014

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