Gauteng Heath MEC must go!

1 September 2022

The Democratic Alliance is calling for Gauteng Health MEC Nomathemba Mokgethi to be fired for failing to institute a full investigation into allegations of corruption made by whistleblower Babita Deokaran shortly before she was murdered last year.

This follows her evasive reply to my questions earlier this week in the Gauteng Legislature where she claimed that Babita made no “formal” request for a forensic investigation into dodgy payments by Tembisa Hospital.

She should surely have ensured that all Babita’s email and WhatsApp messages were analysed and followed up for clues as to why someone wanted her dead.

It’s not enough to suspend the Department’s CFO and the Tembisa Hospital CEO, there needs to be political accountability as well.

The only reason we are seeing action now is because journalists have exposed the fishy companies that got millions of rand for overpriced goods.

Mokgethi has also declined to respond to the accusation by the SA National Civic Organisation (SANCO) in June this year that she knew all about the Tembisa Hospital payments, and was “the mastermind” in order to fund factional ANC battles.

We know at least one senior ANC figure, Mr Sello Sekhokho, got R2.3 million from the hospital for overpriced goods from three of his companies.

Mokgethi was either asleep at the wheel in not pursuing credible allegations of corruption at the hospital, or she colluded in the cover-up by CFO Lerato Madyo and others.

Meanwhile, multiple disasters continue to hurt patients in Gauteng public hospitals, including staff shortages, equipment breakdowns and slow payment of suppliers.

My view is that the MEC is part of the problem and not part of the solution.

She should go!

Issued by Jack Bloom, DA Gauteng Shadow Health MEC, 1 September 2022