Irregular Gauteng Health hospital security contracts worth R650m annually that were awarded in 2014 have been extended on a month by month basis for three years. IoL reports that this is according to Democratic Alliance (DA) shadow MEC for health in Gauteng Jack Bloom who said the revelation came from a written response to his questions in the legislature from Health MEC Bandile Masuku.
"The security contracts were awarded in October 2014 for a two-year period, but instead of advertising for new contracts to start in October 2016 the old contracts have been extended every month since then," Bloom said.
"This is despite the fact that a forensic audit found irregularities and criminal charges were laid against the chairperson of the bid evaluation committee that awarded the contracts. Furthermore, the auditor-general last year criticised the renewed contracts as irregular expenditure."
According to the report, he said the extensions were also in breach of Treasury regulations which stipulate that extended contracts should not increase in price by more than 15%.
[link url="https://www.iol.co.za/news/south-africa/gauteng/gauteng-health-blasted-over-extension-of-irregular-hospital-security-contracts-31809039"]IoL report[/link]