Africa-Press – South-Africa. Gauteng Health and Wellness MEC Nomantu Nkomo-Ralehoko says companies that profited from fraudulent transactions that cost Tembisa Hospital nearly R1 billion will soon be exposed.
Nkomo-Ralehoko revealed this in Mondeor on Wednesday at an event held to pay homage to slain whistleblower Babita Deokaran on the second anniversary of her murder.
On Tuesday, Phakamani Hadebe, Zitha Radebe, Nhlangano Ndlovu, Sanele Mbhele, Siphiwe Mazibuko, and Siphakanyiswa Dladla pleaded guilty to Deokaran’s murder and firearm-related charges.
She was killed after she blew the whistle on fraud and corruption at Tembisa Hospital. The six men were immediately sentenced according to the roles they played in the murder.
The memorial, organised by the Ahmed Kathrada Foundation, commemorated the life and legacy of Deokaran, who was killed in August 2021 after flagging a series of fraudulent transactions at the hospital.
Nkomo-Ralehoko referred to the proclamation President Cyril Ramaphosa signed to authorise the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) to probe the allegedly corrupt network at the hospital.
The MEC said the proclamation attested to the government’s commitment to justice and exposing those behind the scandal.
She said:
Nkomo-Ralehoko vowed that the department would root out corruption because it not only robs it of resources but erodes public trust in the system.
The MEC also received a petition of 16 000 signatures that calls on the department to suspend the officials who authorised the fraudulent transactions. The signatories also want the companies that unduly benefitted from the transactions to be blacklisted to prevent them from defrauding the state again.
Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse (OUTA) member Ali Gule said the department often made headlines for all the wrong reasons. He called on the MEC to turn a new leaf and restore public trust in it.
Gule also called on the government to create safe spaces for corruption busters who compromise their safety when exposing wrongdoing.
“There is something deeply wrong when whistleblowers approach civil society organisations rather than their managers,” said Gule.
The Whistleblower House echoed Gule’s sentiments about the protection of corruption busters. It said the contribution of whistleblowers was invaluable.
CEO Ben Theron said: “It is cases like these that ignited the fire to create The Whistleblower House. We remain steadfast in our commitment to aiding those with firsthand knowledge or exposure to wrongdoing, empowering them to safely become whistleblowers.”
The SIU’s advocate Andy Mothibi said the unit would recoup monies lost by the department and expose the masterminds behind the corrupt network.
Mothibi said the SIU would work alongside the Hawks, National Prosecuting Authority, the department and Treasury to blacklist the companies implicated in the corruption scheme.
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