/ MEDIA STATEMENT / The content on this page is not written by Polity.org.za, but is supplied by third parties. This content does not constitute news reporting by Polity.org.za.

The National Education, Health and Allied Workers’ Union [NEHAWU] notes with serious concern the sharp increase in corruption associated with the procurement of Personal Protective Equipment [PPEs]. 

On a daily basis reports of the pillaging of resources meant to procure PPEs for frontline workers surfaces. South Africa has always had a problem of corruption and it was to be expected that those who thrive on plundering public funds would thrive during the COVID-19 pandemic.

NEHAWU as a union organising in the health sector has always been at the forefront of exposing corruption especially in supply management, procurement, servicing of medical equipment, human resources and corrupt activities associated with outsourcing. However, this is not only about tenderprenuers lining their pockets with ill-gotten gains but about frontline workers who are getting infected on a daily basis. 

The scourge of corruption is not a victimless crime as it robs our people of quality service delivery. Many frontline workers have lost their lives because of the lack of sufficient PPEs including the supplying of low quality PPEs by Covidpreneurs who get tenders because of their close proximity to decision makers rather than on merit or the ability to deliver quality goods on time. In this regard, we agree with our federation, the Congress of South African Trade Unions [COSATU], that President Cyril Ramaphosa must immediately rescue the country from sinking under the weight of corruption. 

Across the country news of corruption associated with the procurement of PPEs are hogging the headlines including the Western Cape which always claims to run a clean administration. However, it has come to our attention that R38 million was paid to a construction consortium to supply surgical masks to a Western Cape provincial government department. The consortium sold the provincial government PPEs at higher prices, for example they sold surgical masks at R16.66 per mask while National Treasury has a benchmark price of R11.50 for a single mask. Moreover, the consortium charged R2300 for 100 digital thermometers while the benchmark pricing for thermometers is R992. 

In KwaZulu-Natal, officials at the Department of Social Development have been fingered in PPEs procurement corruption worth R30 million. The corruption was uncovered after a forensic investigation unearthed irregularities in the procurement of PPEs, blankets, sanitisers, wet wipes, soups and towels. The department paid R22 million for 48 000 poor quality blankets without going to tender. While we welcome the suspension of the officials and the opening of criminal cases we also hope that mechanisms will be put in place to ensure that similar occurrences are a thing of the past. 

Government needs to stop feeding us empty slogans and rid itself of corrupt individuals. The President and Treasury have been preaching a gospel of ending corruption, however, the problem is not going away instead it is getting worse by the day. Stern leadership is required to completely obliterate the scourge of corruption and it must be done without any fear or favour. We note the deafening silence by the health sector anti-corruption forum that was launched by the President on the 1st October 2019 in Pretoria. The forum was launched to fight fraud and corruption in the health sector with the help of the Special Investigative Unit [SIU], the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation, the Financial Intelligence Centre, and the National Prosecuting Authority [NPA]. 

NEHAWU reiterates its call for the centralisation of the procurement of PPEs as the current decentralised and fragmented approach has led to corrupt tendencies finding a leeway to access funds dedicated to procuring PPEs for frontline workers. On a daily basis frontline workers lose their lives because of the lack of PPEs including the 8 doctors who passed on in Gauteng and the nurse from Welkom who lost her live due to COVID-19 complications. It is for these reason that we are forging ahead with our programme of action to protect workers from the coronavirus. 

Issued by NEHAWU Secretariat