Government tenders have become a feeding trough for many criminal syndicates.
Gauteng premier Panyaza Lesufi has distanced himself from a prayer day service for one of the province’s most famous “cash cows,” Tembisa Hospital.
This hospital has become known for the collapse of medical services and the looting of taxpayers’ money through corrupt tender processes.
However, a poster featuring the premier’s face emerged on social media, advertising a prayer day for the hospital.
This prayer service was scheduled for 9 October.
It was removed following public criticism and now Lesufi is also distancing himself from the event.
Lesufi’s explanation
“This poster incorrectly features a picture of premier Panyaza Lesufi, implying his endorsement and attendance. The Office of the Premier wants to categorically state that Lesufi was not aware of the prayer Day and the event was never part of his schedule of events or activities,” said Elijah Mhlanga, a spokesperson for the provincial government.
Mhlanga said that as soon as Lesufi became aware of the poster, he advised the organisers to withdraw the poster and cancel the event.
“The event, therefore, is no longer happening. Lesufi’s focus remains unequivocally on the urgent work of restoring good governance and public trust in Tembisa Hospital.
“He has reiterated his commitment to ensuring that his office works closely with the Gauteng department of health to implement, without delay, all recommendations contained in the recently released Special Investigating Unit’s interim report.
“This includes ensuring that swift and decisive action is taken against all officials implicated in the report, in line with the government’s commitment to accountability and clean administration,” he said.
DA accuses Lesufi’s government of lying
The DA’s Solly Msimanga believes that the Gauteng government is being dishonest about its involvement in the event.
“Once this prayer day became public knowledge, it elicited a strong and entirely justified negative response as people have long seen through the ANC, the same way they saw through this desperately vapid political stunt.
“Shockingly, now that they’ve postponed their prayer day, the existence of the event is being spun as fake news – another lie while residents suffer,” he said.
Msimanga said holding a prayer day service for Thembisa hospital would be insensitive.
“This is not only an affront to every single patient turned victim at the hands of their greed, but makes a mockery of the central tenets of religion.
“Simply put, the thought of it is disgusting,” he said.
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Syndicates at Tembisa hospital
Recently, the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) said that about R2 billion of taxpayers’ money has been looted in a coordinated manner by syndicates operating at the hospital.
The SIU has identified at least three syndicates at Tembisa hospital.
The first is one linked to businessman Hangwani Maumela, who has also been linked to controversial businessman Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala.
Another syndicate has been described as the Rudolph Mazibuko syndicate while another is described as syndicate X.
There were also officials from the Gauteng department of health who have been implicated in the looting.
Babita Deokaran
In 2021, the acting chief of financial accounting at the Gauteng department of health, Babita Deokaran, was killed after discovering a suspicious web payment to a number of companies linked to Tembisa Hospital.
She halted R850 million in payments to some of those companies.
The situation at Tembisa Hospital was allegedly so bad that one patient reportedly died from hunger. His family blamed this on corruption at the hospital.
The man who was CEO of the hospital when the scandal about the looting was exposed has since died.
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