NELSPRUIT – The provincial health department denied that the Health Minister Mr Aaron Motsoaledi has asked them to explain how a multimillion-rand contract to circumcise hundreds of thousands of men in the province was awarded without going to tender.
This follows after The Sunday Independent reported that Corruption Watch was probing the irregular year-long contract to perform 260 000 circumcisions at a cost of R700 each which was awarded to Mkhago Health Care Services earlier this year. If all of them are performed, the contract will be worth R182 million.
Mkhago’s owner is Dr Ebby Bongani Mkhabela, a doctor linked to an alleged botched circumcision on a four-year old boy from Barberton five years ago. This particular incident is the subject of a R10 million legal suite in the Pretoria Court in which both the national and provincial health departments are cited. In an annexure to court papers, Mkhabela is referred to on a hospital form as the surgeon who performed the 15 minute procedure on the then four-year-old in 2008.
Motsoaledi consequently told The Sunday Independent that the matter had been raised via the South African National Aids Council. He said he was still awaiting an explanation from Health MEC, Ms Candith Mashego-Dlamini. However, provincial health spokesman Mr Ronnie Masilela told Lowvelder that he was not aware of any investigation by the national department.
Corruption Watch’s head of legal and investigations, Ms Nicola Whittaker, said Health HOD Mr Richard Mnisi, had admitted that no public tender was advertised. Mnisi had told Corruption Watch that Mkhago presented the department with a proposal which was accepted as it was “unique” in that the company offered to go to rural areas where most doctors would not go.
Masilela added that the contract was awarded to Mkhago because the department wanted to reach as many uncircumcised males as possible in the province. “It was based on his qualifications and experience in the field as head of Right to Care in the province,” he added.
“Our facilities continue to offer voluntary male medical circumcision and the appointment of Mkhago is seen as a boost to increase the number of circumcised males. Mkhago is expected to use its own equipment when perfoming this work.”
Masilela continued by saying the legal suite is pending litigation. “The department therefore is of the opinion that one is innocent until proven guilty.”
Corruption Watch is also probing a potential conflict of interest in relation to Mkhabela’s wife, Dr Ramatsemela Mumsy Mkhabela, who was a Mkhago director until December. She was appointed medical manager at Themba Hospital four months before the contract was awarded. Masilela responded by saying that she is indeed an employee of the department and at that time the documents presented to them did not list her as a member or director.
