The Public Protector has found that Gauteng Health Department (GDoH) officials acted irregularly during the recruitment and selection process of the late Ashley Mthunzi as CEO of Tembisa Hospital, saying they engaged in “improper conduct and maladministration”.
Public Protector Advocate Kholeka Gcaleka has released her report on the investigation into a complaint lodged by DA MPL Jack Bloom, who had alleged Mthunzi was appointed CEO in mid-2021 despite pending disciplinary action at Pholosong Hospital – and that this was not made known to the recruitment and selection committee, reports TimesLIVE.
At the time, the department strongly disavowed Bloom’s claims.
Mthunzi was appointed in an acting capacity on 22 April 2021, and his placement made permanent on 1 July of the same year. Thereafter, he pushed hospital procurement into overdrive, spending more than R850m on medical supplies in just four months.
He became a key actor in a R1bn contract extraction scheme first exposed by whistleblower Babita Deokaran, signing tainted medical supply contracts with grossly inflated prices and based on forged documents.
Deokaran had flagged these dodgy payments – through more than 1 000 individual transactions – and ordered a stop to payments, calling for an urgent investigation.
She was murdered three weeks later. The payments were released after her death and no investigation was conducted.
As a result of a News24 investigation, the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) was called in to probe Mthunzi’s spending spree, and recommended he be charged with 13 counts of misconduct.
Mthunzi died in April this year while on suspension and while undergoing the marathon disciplinary inquiry on the 13 charges, which dragged on for nearly two years.
‘No screening’ – Protector
The Protector’s report slammed the GDoH for not conducting “all requisite personnel suitability checks, such as the verification of financial stability, citizenship/identity screening, criminal record and personal security” when appointing Mthunzi.
It added that existence of pending disciplinary proceedings could have been “confirmed by functionaries directly with the candidate and with Mthunzi’s employer [the department], respectively”.
The findings also show that the shortlisting and interview panel interview did not follow up on discrepancies in his application form.
“Mthunzi made material inaccuracies … which should have prompted the functionaries … to probe this information and determine its effect on his suitability for the post,” added the report.
The protector recommended the HoD must, within 120 days from the date of the final report, take steps towards on a procurement process to appoint a service provider to conduct personnel suitability checks on all senior managements service (SMS) personnel, including non-SMS personnel in supply chain management.
News24 reports that Mthunzi was paid R2.5m in salaries and benefits while the department tried to axe him and, because he died while in service, his estate is entitled to a legacy of payments from the Government Employee Pension Fund (GEPF).
The damning findings of the Public Protector draw into sharp focus the way in which senior managers in the department are appointed, with a clear gap in due diligence of prospective employees.
News24 article – Disgraced Tembisa Hospital CEO’s dubious appointment exposed (Restricted access)
See more from MedicalBrief archives:
Suspended Tembisa Hospital boss dies
Tembisa Hospital tender prices were upped by 2 000%
R250m Tembisa Hospital syndicate still scoring tenders