The Tembisa Hospital. Picture: Dimpho Maja/African News Agency (ANA).
Johannesburg - The suspended CEO of Tembisa Hospital, Ashley Mthunzi and Gauteng Health Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Lerato Madyo are due to appear before a disciplinary hearing on October 9.
This was revealed by the Gauteng Health and Wellness MEC Nomantu Nkomo-Ralehoko in her oral reply to questions by the DA’s Shadow MEC for Health Jack Bloom in the provincial legislature.
Mthunzi and Madyo were placed on suspension on August 26, 2022, following recommendations of the Special Investigating Unit (SIU), which was appointed by the-then Premier David Makhura.
The two were suspended after the SIU found information that Babita Deokaran, a senior accountant in the department who was later gunned down at her home, had flagged payments to top ANC official in Ekurhuleni Sello Sekhokho’s companies as “possibly fraudulent’’, but Madyo and Mthunzi allegedly ignored the warnings.
In the legislature this week, Bloom said: “I am astounded that Gauteng Health and Wellness MEC Nomantu Nkomo-Ralehoko claims there has been ‘no delay’ in disciplining officials and blacklisting companies implicated in the Tembisa Hospital corruption that murdered whistle-blower Babita Deokaran tried to stop.”
According to Bloom, it was unacceptable that disciplinary hearings were preferred against the two after being on suspension for more than a year.
He said six officials at Tembisa Hospital have been suspended, and “the investigating officer is in the process of finalising charges”, and that delays the SIU investigation report, which recommended they be disciplined in December last year.
With regards to the “Justice for Babita” petition, which demands the blacklisting of 224 companies implicated in irregular payments by the Tembisa Hospital, the MEC says: “Blacklisting can only be done after the outcome of the investigation. However, measures have been put in place to ensure there is no recurrence and not to procure to the affected companies.”
Bloom said the DA welcomed this restriction, which was long overdue as some of these companies were still getting hospital contacts late last year.
“I hope there are no further delays in disciplining officials and laying criminal charges in this matter. The key thing is to get the masterminds as well as the accomplices to ensure real justice for Babita,” he said.
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