May R499m Covid hospital be a lesson for KZN donations

A R499 million health facility is shutting down in Carletonville, Gauteng. The cost of the AngloGold Ashanti covid field hospital ballooned from the initial R50 million to R588 million after the refurbishment plan was changed into an upgrade for a 175-bed hospital.

After spending R499 million of the R588 million and treating only 147 patients, the Gauteng health department is shutting it down. And yes, the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) has been looking into the matter and a number of officials are being investigated.

The saddest part of this corruption story is not that it happened during the Covid pandemic, it is that South Africans are shocked that such things still happen.

The floods that have caused so much destruction in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) have prompted government, starting with Treasury, to release emergency funds to deal with the humanitarian crisis. Besides food and shelter, there are more urgent needs for some families: preparing to bury loved ones while they don’t even have a roof over their heads.

While dealing with such fragility, the country must also deal with the possibility that the funds earmarked for this relief effort will definitely be targeted by those who have made it their speciality to swindle government funds.

In an unnecessary drive to remain relevant, the public protector’s office was among the first respondents to be physically on the ground in KZN, ostensibly to “protect” the public from actions that haven’t happened yet.

It is difficult to fault the protector, though, because the blatant stealing of public funds Tuesday 12 19 April 2022 has reached such horrifying levels it is now an accepted part of government service delivery.

It has been suggested that a private entity be set up to deal specifically with government funds for a crisis. That is commendable but not enough. The AngloGold Ashanti field hospital alleged looting of funds is a clear indication that good intentions alone will not be enough to stop the vultures that loot amid people’s pain.

The R499 million spent on the hospital that was inaccessible to communities happened during the revelations about the personal protective equipment (PPE) scandal. The hyenas were not deterred by the small matter of the president declaring war on corruption.

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The “new dawn” promised by President Cyril Ramaphosa must start taking some sort of shape now, even if only to explore a completely new way of disbursing public funds. It is disappointing that even towards the end of his term in office – possibly one of two – the president has not impressed enough on his comrades that the money lost to looting is a loss the public suffers as it isn’t spent productively.

Right now, the whole country should be focused on the huge humanitarian effort that KZN needs to get some semblance of normality back. But the focus has shifted to “how to stop the theft of relief funds”, before it even happens.

The country should be focusing on flood-proofing KZN to ensure minimal loss of life and property, should floods happen in the future.

The president sold the country the dream of reduced corruption in government. It is not enough to prosecute a few after the money is gone, the money must get to those it is intended for in the first place.