Intervention into Gupta contract long overdue

5 March 2018

The Democratic Alliance in North West welcomes the sudden intervention of the Health Minister, Dr Aaron Motsoaledi, in the Gupta-linked Mediosa Mobile Clinic contract.

However, we are convinced that the irregularities pertaining to the Mediosa contract are just the tip of the iceberg and that there are many corrupt contracts within this department. Therefore the DA calls for an independent Commission of Inquiry to be established to investigate all contracts awarded within the North West Department of Health.

Minister Motsoaledi’s intervention is long overdue and it is a pity that the national ANC government only reacts to this scandal now.

For years now the national Department of Health has been aware of financial instabilities and general mismanagement of budgets in the North West Health Department that have led to the inability to pay creditors and the accumulation of unmanageable accruals. Motsoaledi should apologize to the people of the North West and explain his department’s failure since 2015 to save this department that to date remains in intensive care.

Had the national Health Department played a proper oversight role, this scandal could have been prevented.

Mediosa is under debt review and their contract should have been terminated a long time ago. They should also be scrapped from the national list of service providers.

Premier Supra Mahumapelo, who openly affiliates with the Gupta family must be stopped from meddling in any investigations.

We will ask serious questions in the North West Legislature about the number of Mediosa employees that were not paid as we can never allow that families go to bed hungry while politically connected cadres enrich themselves.

The time for Total Change is now as our communities deserve a corruption free government that serves the interest of the people and not abuse the system to enrich cadres.

Issued by Tutu Faleni, Democratic Alliance Spokesperson on Health, 5 March 2018