Top Gauteng Health Official still not disciplined 12 years after fishy contract

26 August 2020

A Special Investigating Unit (SIU) report recommended that a top official in the Gauteng Health Department face disciplinary action for the appointment of a fishy contract 12 years ago, but this was not implemented because the SIU reported wrongly that he had left the Department.

This is revealed by Acting Gauteng Health MEC Jacob Mamabolo in a written reply to my questions in the Gauteng Legislature.

I asked why this official, who is a director of human resources management and organizational development, had not been disciplined even though the SIU criticized his role in the irregular appointment of Kalvest Consulting Services for a R127 000 contract to evaluate a transformation project at the Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital in May 2008. The SIU says that Kalvest was appointed through an unjustified deviation from the tender process and did not do a proper job.

According to Mamabolo, the Department is aware that the official was adversely mentioned in the SIU report, which was completed in March 2017 but only made public in May 2018. Furthermore, he confirms that the Department is aware that the SIU report indicates erroneously that the official had left.

Mamabolo now says that he has instructed the Department “to compile a report on all outstanding disciplinary cases and immediately institute disciplinary measures.”

I wonder what other disciplinary matters have been delayed or ignored for years, and who is protecting these officials. Why is it only now that an Acting MEC is cracking the whip on these cases?

The rot in this department needs to be thoroughly cleaned out, otherwise the thievery and massive wastage of resources will continue instead of quality care provided to everyone.

Issued by Jack Bloom,DA Gauteng Shadow MEC for Health, 26 August 2020