Mpumalanga health department to be investigated by SIU

Thanks to a proclamation signed by President Cyril Ramaphosa, the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) has been given the go-ahead to investigate allegations of corruption at the Mpumalanga Department of Health. 

SIU spokesperson Kaizer Kganyago said the proclamation also allows the unit to recover any financial losses suffered by the department, should any wrongdoing be found. 

“The investigation will look at transactions that took place between 1 January 2018 and 28 January 2022, the date of publication of the Proclamation, and transactions that either took place before January 2018 or after January 2022 but relevant to, connected with the same persons, entities or contracts being investigated.

“Evidence pointing to criminal conduct, which may be uncovered during the investigation, will be referred to the National Prosecuting Authority, as well as the Hawks in the South African Police Service (Saps) for further action,” Kganyago said on Wednesday.

ALSO READ: PPE report: Most cellphones Limpopo health dept spent R10m on never distributed

The investigation will focus on the following: 

• The procurement of or contracting for Information Communication Technology (ICT) infrastructure required to operationalise the Bethal Hospital;
• The installation and commissioning of an ICT network for the Middelburg Hospital;
• A fleet management solution for the department;
• A citizen engagement platform for the department;
• The connection of community health centres and clinics to a virtual private network; and
• The digitalisation of queue management processes at Themba Hospital, by or on behalf of the department.

Kganyago said the SIU will also investigate payments made in a manner that was not fair, equitable, transparent, competitive or cost-effective, or that went against legislation issued by National or Provincial Treasury.

“The scope of the SIU investigation will also cover any unlawful, improper or irregular conduct by employees, officials or agents of the department; or any other person or entity, in relation to the allegations being investigated.”

‘Covid-preneurs’

In August 2020, the Democratic Alliance (DA) called on Mpumalanga Premier Refilwe Mtsweni-Tsipane and the SIU to urgently “investigate Mpumalanga Covid-preneurs who are milking departments dry”.

DA Mpumalanga MPL Jane Sithole said the “Covid-prenuers” should be punished.

Sithole said a provincial procurement discloser report for the fist quarter of the year showed how the purchase of surgical masks, thermometers, Vodacom tablets, food parcels and branded umbrellas became “a breeding ground for Covid-19 corruption by the various Mpumalanga government departments through highly inflated figures.”

According to the report, some departments paid from R1,200 to R1,800 for digital non-contact thermometers, but the majority paid R2,527 and upwards per unit. Some paid R1,624.75 for 25L sanitisers, while others paid R4,590 each. 

ALSO READ: DA calls on SIU to investigate Mpumalanga ‘Covid-preneurs’

SIU PPE report

The SIU released its final report into PPE corruption earlier this month, which has engulfed various departments across the country since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic. 

1 906 contracts were investigated from the departments of education, health, the City of Johannesburg, Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality, Johannesburg Property Company, Johannesburg Social Housing Company and Saps. 

So far, R24.6 million has been recovered by the SIU from dodgy contractors, and R139 million worth of contracts set aside. 

Mpumalanga accounts for R730 million (888 cases). 

Gauteng, the Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal are the three provinces with the highest value of contracts that were being investigated.

NOW READ: PPE corruption report: Gauteng the worst offender

Additional reporting by Narissa Subramoney.