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Mr Lesiba Malotana, the Head of the Gauteng Health Department, was allowed to apply for this post despite awaiting the results of his Master’s degree qualification.

This is one of several questionable aspects of his appointment revealed by Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi in a written reply to my questions in the Gauteng Legislature.

Lesufi says the post was advertised on various platforms with closing dates of 26 and 28 November 2023, and 8 December 2023. There were 18 applications, but only 3 applicants met the requirements and were shortlisted.

This position requires a Master's degree (NQF 9), but Malotana only got his Master of Health Science in Medical Care on 27 March this year.

According to Lesufi, Malotana did all the prescribed checks that include a security clearance, competency assessments, qualifications, criminal records, credit, identity, employment history, and reference checks.

But this did not pick up that Malotana is being investigated by the Hawks and SIU for allegedly sharing a R8 million bribe with two other officials. Even though this was revealed in an amaBhungane article published in April 2023, Lesufi says "The Office of the Premier is not aware of a final forensic investigation from the Hawks and/or SIU with the findings and recommendations related to Mr Malotana."

Further information provided is that the recommendation to appoint Malotana was sent to the Premier on 28 May 2024, the day before the elections, and the appointment date was with effect from 1 June 2024. It seems there was a rush to make him head of the department as the ANC was losing its majority in Gauteng.

This appointment was strangely not announced publicly, but a statement was only put out on 29 July in response to my statement that Health MEC Nomantu Nkomo-Ralehoko had announced Malotana's appointment at a Health Committee meeting.

It is suspicious that the Premier's 29 Julystatement does not mention Malotana's Master's degree, but only says he has a post graduate diploma in public management, which would not qualify him for the post.

When asked to state categorically that there were no irregularities in Malotana's appointment, Lesufi gives a guarded response: "On the information presented before me, there are no irregularities or deviations."

I have referred Malotana's fishy appointment to the Public Service Commission which is now doing a full investigation.

The DA calls on Premier Lesufi to remove Mr Malotana as part of a total overhaul of top management in the Gauteng Health Department. This is needed to fix the endemic dysfunction and corruption that harms public healthcare in Gauteng.

Issued by Jack Bloom MPL - DA Gauteng Shadow Health MEC