The appointment of Dr Nthabiseng Makgana as the CEO of Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital has raised concerns by workers and the HR department that she lacks the necessary senior management level experience or MBA qualifications, reports Daily Maverick.
She has only three years’ management experience, not the requisite eight, according to correspondence from the HR department to the Gauteng Health Department (GDOH) and deputy director-general of corporate services, and neither has she actually completed her MBA.
Meanwhile, staff say hospital standards have slumped since her appointment, with the facility running out of food and consumables, and with cleanliness and maintenance having also deteriorated.
Makgana was announced as one of three CEOs of provincial academic hospitals in March.
The correspondence relating to irregularities in her appointment (copied to the acting head of the Gauteng Health Department Arnold Malotana, chief director of human resource Mr E Ogle, and Deputy Director-General Basani Baloyi) seeks to request any rational, justifiable including lawful additional information forming a foundation for consideration of the appointment of the CEO.
“Furthermore, the document seeks to bring to the attention … that the information at our disposal is insufficient to process the appointment lawfully and reasonably for it will result (in) irregular and unlawful appointment similar to the Rahima Moosa case as found by the Office of Health Ombudsman,” read the correspondence.
Insufficient experience
The correspondence claims that Makgana has only three years of experience at a senior management level and thus is ineligible for the appointment.
“Both CHBAH2 (the advert) and CHBAH3 (Department of Public Services & Administration guidelines) set the minimum experience of eight years … for any candidate to be considered for selection. All candidates with fewer years of required experience ought not to have progressed to the interview level … and been eliminated at the shortlisting level),” wrote the authors.
The correspondence requested any evidentiary documents proving the contrary.
A poster from the Gauteng Department of Health states that Makgana has more than 10 years of experience in the public health sector, including five in hospital management.
“In addition to her Bachelor of Medicine Surgery (MBChB) qualification she attained in 2011, she obtained numerous certificates in disciplines. Dr Makgana is currently completing her Masters Degree in Business Administration in Health Care Management,” read the poster.
Contradictory details
The Senior Management Service (SMS) Minimum Entry Requirements from E-gov which were completed presumably by HR representative Sibongile Dladla misrepresents facts, according to the correspondence.
An SMS Pre-Entry Certificate is mandatory when applying for senior management positions in the public service. According to the advertisement for the post, no appointment shall be effected without the recommended candidate producing a certificate of completion for the SMS Pre-Entry Programme, offered by the National School of Government.
To enrol for SMS levels 13 and 14, an individual needs an undergraduate qualification at NQF level seven and either five years of experience at the middle management level (for SMS level 13), or five years of experience at the senior management level (for SMS level 14).
“It is not entirely correct that the preferred candidate has five years of relevant experience. She has less than three … when taking cognisance, the duration of acting in the capacity of the CEO at Pholosong Regional Hospital,” read the correspondence.
The application form includes contradictory information as Makgana notes that she is still studying for an MBA in Health Management at Regent Business School, but also states that she obtained the qualification in 2024 from Regent Business School. On her CV, she said she was studying for the same qualification at Regenesys Business School.
A tweet from Gauteng Health from 3 August 2022 states that Makgana is currently completing a Master of Business Administration through Regenesys Business School, while her LinkedIn profile states that she holds a Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery (MBChB) from the University of Pretoria (2006-2011) and a Master of Business Administration from Regenesys Business School (January 2021 – December 2022).
Daily Maverick approached both business schools for verification. Regent said it was unable to provide such information due to the Protection of Personal Information Act (Popia) while Regenesys said “we cannot share our students’ personal information due to privacy reasons”.
The legal framework
The advertisement for the post included the following requirements:
A degree/advanced diploma in a health-related field;
Registration with the relevant professional body;
A Master’s degree in Public Health and/or Management; and
A minimum of 10 years of management experience in the health sector at a senior management level.
The correspondence makes note of various statutory provisions and advises the authorities to review their position regarding the appointment unless there is contrary evidence.
Hospital standards dropping
A worker at the hospital said organised labour at the facility had written to Health MEC Nomantu Nkomo-Ralehoko citing concerns about the appointment on 13 March 2024.
“In logical terms, the period from the time of obtaining the first qualification till the present, her work experience does not make sense. Perhaps the selecting panel might have overlooked certain details in calculating her experience in senior management level,” read the letter, calling for urgent intervention to correct this.
The MEC has apparently not replied to the letter.
“Most of the management and doctors know she (Makgana) does not qualify, but they say they want to follow protocol … how can you follow protocol when this issue is dire and service delivery is going down?” said the worker.
Clinicians were reportedly surprised that acting CEO Dr Mkhulu Percival Selepe was replaced by Makgana.
“He was doing well, the hospital was improving, cleanliness was improving, the supply chain was improving, the service was improving, now everything is going down again,” he said.
“The other day we had no bread. We are running short of consumables, patients are repeating meals the whole week, food quality has dropped, cleanliness and maintenance have dropped.”
Daily Maverick sent questions to Gauteng Health on 2 May and on 3 May it acknowledged the inquiry, saying it was “processing it internally for a response”.
On 7 May, it requested copies of the documents on which the allegations are based. At the time of publication, GDOH had not replied.
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