Allegations of fraud, corruption and money laundering involving security tenders at Gauteng hospitals, that could include tenders worth more than R23 million at three hospitals in the Tshwane metro, are being investigated by the Hawks.
The investigation focused on a R265 million security tender for provincial state hospitals, Democratic Alliance (DA) Gauteng shadow health MEC Jack Bloom said.
Bloom submitted an application in terms of the Promotion of Access to Information Act to establish the value of other security services tender quotes received by the department.
The hospitals in the Pretoria area which could be part of the Hawks probe, are Steve Biko Academic, George Mukhari and Kalafong.
According to Bloom, he was dismayed but not surprised about the reported Hawks investigation as annual provincial hospital security costs had more than doubled from R113 million last year to R265 million this year.
He said this came to light in a written reply by Gauteng Health MEC Qedani Mahlangu to DA questions in the provincial legislature. He said the contracts worth R265 million had been signed with private security companies in September this year.
The large contracts awarded in Tshwane included Steve Biko hospital, that increased to R15,5 million from R8,2 million last year, the George Mukhari hospital north west of the city from R9,5 million last year to R13,34 million this year and Kalafong in the west from R5,4 million to almost R12 million.
“I am deeply suspicious about the award process as Mahlangu has refused to give the prices quoted by other security companies for each hospital,” Bloom said, adding that the MEC claimed that the “department was not in a position to respond to that question due to confidentiality of the information”.
Bloom said this was unacceptable withholding of information.
“That is why I have submitted an application for it to be revealed under the Promotion of Access to Information Act,” he said.
He expressed his disappointment at the fact that the provincial health department was yet again being investigated for corruption which drained money that was needed to improve health care.
The most expensive contract was for the Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Hospital, which increased from 16,9 million to R25,57 million this year. The contract at the Helen Joseph Hospital, where a nurse was reportedly raped earlier this year, leaped from R6,5 million to R13,34 million.
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