The main entrance of the Tembisa Hospital in Tembisa near Kempton Park, 20 January 2020. Picture Neil McCartney
The Hawks in Gauteng conducted a raid at the corruption embroiled Tembisa Hospital on Tuesday as part of its investigation into the irregular procurement of contracts worth R850 million.
Hawks spokesperson Colonel Katlego Mogale said they were collecting documents and electronic gadgets in relation to the fraud and corruption investigations at the hospital.
“A search and seizure operation was conducted by the Gauteng Hawks Serious Corruption Investigation based on information received from irregular contracts awarded by supply chain management at Tembisa Hospital to 217 service providers,” said Mogale.
The irregular tenders at the hospital were uncovered after slain whistleblower Babita Deokaran flagged financial irregularities months before her death.
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A report by News24 revealed that Deokaran noticed a transaction of R498 000 was spent on 200 pairs of skinny jeans.
She also uncovered other multiple dubious contracts within the Gauteng Health Department. She was assassinated outside her Mondeor home in Johannesburg.
“It is alleged that there were existing untoward practices in relation to contracts below R500 000 between 2016 and 2022. These are reported to have been conducted or allocated in an unlawful and illegal manner and this has resulted in the hospital being prejudiced over R850 million,” added Mogale.
Mogale said in some of the contracts, the hospital’s employees also received gratification.
It emerged that the contract for the skinny jeans was awarded to Inez Chaste. It was run by former professional soccer player Themba Shabalala and his wife Evelyn.
Inez Chaste was awarded the contract despite the company only being formed a month earlier. It was also one of 10 shell companies owned by either Themba or Evelyn. These 10 companies formed a network of around 45 shell corporations that received more than R110 million in contracts from the hospital in just two months.
These purchases were signed off by the hospital’s suspended CEO Ashley Mthunzi, who had the power to sign off any amount less than R500 000.
Amounts below R500 000 did not have to go out to tender.
Additional information by Gareth Cotterell
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