Dossier on ‘great purge’

The alleged manipulation of Limpopo’s public healthcare system through the reported deployment of seemingly inexperienced young professionals to senior positions of responsibility has given rise to discontent about a situation, which is being attributed to perceived payback time for political liaison and back-up as well as silencing of union members seen to be raising concerns about shortcomings in the Department of Health.
The alleged purging of senior doctors reportedly having to make way for the promotion of inexperienced incumbents in the provincial public healthcare system is questioned in a dossier made available to Polokwane Observer this week.
It accuses Health MEC Phophi Ramathuba and her so-called “generals” of alleged irregular and unlawful appointments of “VERY junior medical doctors to senior clinical management positions at various Limpopo hospitals” without most of the allegedly favoured officials possessing sufficient years in experience to warrant occupation of such positions. Close to ten examples of such instances province-wide are included.
The issue was being addressed at a media conference by the Economic Freedom Fighters in Limpopo held in Polokwane at the time of going to press.
The author of the document, who is reported to be integrated in the system, summarises the situation by claiming the MEC is suspected of appointing those close to her as well as leaders of unions like the South African Medical Association (Sama) to seek their silence “for raising sharply the health issues in the province at the expense of better qualified and experienced candidates”.
The document elaborates on alleged payback time, also to those who have seemingly helped her campaign for the position of African National Congress (ANC) deputy provincial secretary when the organisation went to its provincial conference earlier this year.
As the names of members aligned to Sama in Limpopo are specified against the positions to which they were appointed, it is stated in the document that it could be of no coincidence that Sama provincial leaders count among those in senior clinical managers’ positions while candidates described as better qualified and more experienced were being overlooked.
Already the alleged politicising of positions was apparently first noticed in 2015 with the appointment of a doctor who reportedly did not qualify for short-listing for the position, it is stated. In addition an allegation is being made that interviewed candidates would only afterwards have been informed of a reduction in the applicable salary package – calculated at an estimated R200 000 per annum – to discourage more experienced applicants. The author of the document further alleges that the appointment had been made while no vacancy existed and that the person occupying the position was later moved to the provincial headquarters. The document brings into context the fact that the current MEC had not been deployed to the position as yet, but claims that she would allegedly have influenced her comrades on the ruling party’s provincial task team at the time to push it through.
In summary it is alleged that unwanted managers in positions are offered relocation to different institutions, and if it is turned down charges allegedly get fabricated and the manager suspended only for a perceived inexperienced incumbent of choice to be slotted into the position. In the view of the author responsible for compiling the document, report findings on a matter would get ignored or a suspension period would get extended without apparent reason, allowing a candidate of choice to act in the position until the position got advertised and a permanent appointment made. Then the better qualified and experienced candidates would be overlooked in the short-listing and interview process, it was said.
The dossier concludes with the remark that ethical leadership is needed as a matter of urgency and that the alleged privatisation of the public purse should immediately stop.
Departmental spokesperson Neil Shikwambana didn’t respond to any of the five calls made to one of his cell numbers.
Sama Provincial Chairperson Sizeka Maweya responded with comment that addressed both the issues of appointments and qualifications required for the positions in question. At first he raised the question how the appointment of doctors in positions by the Department of Health in Limpopo were irregular. Maweya conceded that except for him the doctors whose appointments were being questioned were all junior, adding that the potential of the candidates had been identified, that they were short-listed and went through interviews during which they out-performed the others, hence their appointments.
Talking to allegations about doctors requiring a specific number of years in experience to be appointed in a senior clinical manager’s position, he commented that such a position didn’t require a qualification other than a Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (MBChB) degree. He posed the question how experience as a medical doctor would help a doctor to be a good manager.
On the matter of Sama Limpopo members allegedly being silenced with positions, Maweya said the organisation had 984 members in good standing and the appointment of three could hardly silence the rest. As to whether some campaigned on behalf of the MEC in the run-up to the provincial conference of the ANC in Limpopo in their personal capacity, he wouldn’t know, Maweya added. He concluded saying Sama was an apolitical organisation of doctors who joined the union individually and were free to join a political party of their own choice and do whatever it required of them without Sama being involved.

Story: YOLANDE NEL
>>observer.yolande@gmail.com