Presidency critisises Gauteng Premier’s inaction on Babita Deokaran

19 August 2022

The DA notes the stunning rebuke by the Presidency of Gauteng Premier David Makhura’s slow action in probing corruption that was uncovered by murdered whistle-blower Babita Deokaran.

According to a report by Radio 702, Presidency spokesperson Vincent Magwenya said that while they welcomed the forensic investigation instituted by the Gauteng provincial government, it was "deeply regrettable that provincial authorities did not act expeditiously" when Deokaran first blew the whistle.

He said that immediate action should have been taken, both in terms of dealing with the maladministration that she had flagged and providing her with "the necessary protection".

It is rare for the Presidency to be so forthright in criticising an ANC premier, which highlights Makhura’s inexcusable delay in ordering a probe of the hundreds of suspicious payments by Tembisa Hospital totalling R850 million.

 Makhura’s announcement this week that there would be an independent investigation came three weeks after News24 uncovered the true scale of the corruption that Babita feared could cost her life.

This is another big fail by Makhura, who has not learnt the lesson of the Life Esidimeni tragedy that also occurred on his watch.

I suspect there was an attempted cover-up as the corruption tentacles stretch deep into the ANC in Gauteng.

We do not have details of the investigation that Makhura has promised, but I fear that it will be toothless and long-running, and will be used to suppress further questions on this matter in the Gauteng Legislature.

It is obvious that key players who have been implicated should be suspended, including the Department’s Chief Financial Officer Lerato Madyo and Tembisa Hospital CEO Ashley Mthunzi, but this has not yet happened.

The Presidency’s censure of Premier Makhura hopefully forces him to cut the deep rot in the Gauteng Health Department that led to Babita’s murder and the mass theft that harms patients in our hospitals.

Issued by Jack Bloom, DA Gauteng Shadow Health MEC, 19 August 2022