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The Congress of South African Trade Unions in Gauteng has noted with disappointment allegations of misconduct at Tembisa Hospital. The state of the facility has reached crisis point following multiple tender irregularities and deplorable conditions. Before the murder of whistleblower Babita Deokaran in August 2021, she flagged R850 million in suspicious payments from Tembisa Hospital. In a space of a year, more shocking revelations have surfaced with the R500,000 payment which was made towards the purchase of 200 pairs of girls’ skinny jeans. Claims that the jeans were mistaken for suturing material are simply preposterous and unacceptable. 

These revelations are not surprising. Since 1998, the Department of Health in Gauteng has been accustomed to corruption scandals. The Federation is concerned that the visible rot in the provincial Department of Health and its institutions is continuing unabated. It is of even greater concern that the MEC of Health in the province Nomathemba Mokgethi, is alleged to have been aware of the corruption at Tembisa Hospital. 

As COSATU, we welcome the move by Premier David Makhura to place Gauteng health department CFO Lerato Madyo and Tembisa Hospital CEO Ashley Mthunzi on precautionary suspension. We also commend him for his decision to sign proclamations for the Special Investigating Unit to investigate all these allegations. 

In view of these serious allegations, we call on the ANC in Gauteng to subject MEC Mokgethi to the Provincial Integrity Committee whilst awaiting for the finalisation of investigations.

We also call for all those who are affected to cooperate with the Special Investigation Unit (SIU) to ensure a speedy finalisation of the investigations. We encourage trade unions at Tembisa Hospital to allow the SIU and other units to do their work. Corruption is taking away from poor communities and must be dealt with decisively.

Issued by COSATU Gauteng