Public Protector investigates Gauteng Health CFO who blocked probe of fishy Tembisa hospital payments

26 August 2022

The Public Protector is investigating the appointment of the Gauteng Health Department’s Chief Financial Officer Lerato Madyo and other allegations against the Department.

This is revealed in a reply I have received from the Public Service Commission to my request that they investigate Madyo’s appointment.

According to the PSC:

“… the complaint received from your goodself regarding the appointment of the CFO at the Gauteng Department of Health was previously received by the PSC from an anonymous complainant. The complaint also included other serious allegations against the Department of Health in the Gauteng Province. In view of the fact that the PSC has an existing Memorandum of Understanding with the Public Protector (PP), the PSC was of the view that the matter will be better dealt with by the Office of the PP. The matter was therefore referred to the PP, Adv. Kholeka Gcaleka, for investigation.“

I welcome this investigation by the Public Protector which will hopefully uncover the truth about Madyo’s appointment.

I suspect she was manipulated into the job to protect a sophisticated criminal syndicate linked to top ANC politicians who have profited from looted health money for many years.

A PSC investigation found that the previous CFO Kabelo Lehloenya was appointed irregularly and unlawfully, and requested the Hawks to institute a forensic investigation of alleged criminality in her appointment.

Ms Lehloenya resigned from her position and is facing charges of involvement in the PPE scandal.

According to written replies by Gauteng Health MEC Nomathemba Mokgethi to my questions in the Gauteng Legislature, Madyo was seconded from the Gauteng Department of Infrastructure Development to be the Acting CFO. She applied for the permanent position and was appointed to it even though she did not score the highest marks. The highest scoring candidate was supposedly disqualified for not meeting the job requirements, and the Premier’s Office concurred with her appointment as the next highest scorer.

History is repeating itself with another CFO embroiled in corruption allegations.

Evidence in a News24 investigation shows that murdered whistle-blower Babita Deokaran asked Madyo to stop payments by Tembisa Hospital to hundreds of fishy companies, including three owned by ANC bigwig Sello Sekhokho, but Madyo authorised them instead.

Other suspicious payments include the purchase of 200 girls’ skinny jeans at R2500 a pair, 100 leather armchairs at R5000 each, and 2000 hand towels at R230 apiece.

Babita requested a forensic audit of the payments, but Madyo allegedly lied that she had requested the Acting Head of Department to do this when she had not done so. It looks like she was covering up this scandal.

Meanwhile, the Department has not suspended Madyo and we don’t have the details of the investigation announced by the Premier’s Office.

I look forward to the PP’s report which needs to be followed by decisive action to cut the deep rot that causes patients to suffer in crowded hospitals.

Issued by Jack Bloom, DA Gauteng Shadow MEC for Health, 26 August 2022