The DA has demanded that the Gauteng Health Department stop buying from companies linked to the fishy Tembisa Hospital contracts, which resulted in the murder of whistleblower Babita Deokaran after she tried to halt them.
In a statement in Politics Web, Jack Bloom, Shadow Health Minister for the party, said it was outrageous that R327 000 was paid last year for toilet rolls from Nokokhokho Medical Supplies – one of three companies owned by ANC Ekurhuleni Treasurer-General Sello Sekhokho, which got 55 contracts worth R14.5m from Tembisa Hospital from 2019 to 2021.
The costly purchase was revealed by Gauteng Health MEC Nomantu-Nkomo Ralehoko in a written reply to his questions in the Gauteng Legislature.
Bloom wrote that the MEC admitted there were irregularities in the Tembisa Hospital contracts to Sekhokho’s companies, and that the SIU and Hawks are investigating them – but they have not been blacklisted because “the Department has not received feedback regarding the investigation in relation to the three companies to proceed with blacklisting those involved”.
The MEC is disingenuous as there is ample justification to bar all implicated companies from further contracts without waiting for a final investigation report, said the statement.
Shortly before her death, Babita had red-flagged contracts worth R850m from 217 suppliers to Tembisa Hospital as “possibly fraudulent”. According to the SIU, the total suspected fraud is more than R2bn.
In March 2023, the Hawks raided Sekhokho’s home and business premises, and he remains under investigation along with other implicated figures, wrote Bloom.
His companies have also scored 225 contracts worth R84m from other Gauteng public hospitals, the deals including blatant overpricing, like jerseys costing R11 500 each, and R10 000 for men’s shoes, observed Bloom, adding that Nkomo-Ralehoko is also reportedly supporting Sekhokho in his bid to be elected as ANC Ekurhuleni Regional Chairperson.
Bloom wrote that he would be asking further questions to check whether other corruption-linked companies are still getting contracts from the department”.
The DA proposes rigorous checks to ensure hospital contracts are cost-effective and fairly awarded so the budget can provide quality healthcare, he added.
Politics Web article – Gauteng Health should stop buying from suspect companies (Open access)
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