Denosa welcomes the former Health HOD’s funds frozen
The union says the interdict should be a warning for the department to dismiss all officials who were involved in maladministration from 2020.
LIMPOPO – The Limpopo leg of the Democratic Nursing Organisation of South Africa (Denosa) has welcomed the preservation order permitting the Special Investigating Unit to freeze the pension funds of the former HOD of the Health Department, Dr Florence Mhlongo.
The decision follows her resignation with immediate effect in June, in the face of a disciplinary hearing which emanated from investigations into the department’s procurement of personal protective equipment in response to the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020.
The order interdicts the Government Employees Pension Fund from paying out or transferring any benefits to Mhlongo while civil proceedings are underway to recover losses suffered by the department because of dubious Covid-19 tenders, according to SIU spokesperson Kaizer Kganyago.
Denosa brought irregularities in the department regarding PPE to the fore, including the equipment either being of extremely low quality or insufficient, ahead of the investigations by the SIU.
The union now says the interdict should serve as a warning for the department to clear out all office bearers and officials who were also involved in the maladministration from 2020.
Denosa provincial chairperson, Lesiba Monyaki says lives were lost at the time because of a shortage of PPE, however, it remains shocking how those linked to these dealings continue to receive promotions from the department.
The union is aggrieved as, according to Monyaki, a top official who was implicated had been promoted
“Had it been our nurses, they would have been dismissed. We are not saying they are guilty, but before anything, let them clear their names,” says Monyaki.
The SIU investigation uncovered irregularities in the appointment of service providers for the supply and delivery of PPE items, which resulted in the department incurring irregular expenditure of around R180m.
Kganyago said an SIU investigation revealed that Mhlongo, as the department’s accounting officer, exposed the department to wasteful expenditure when the procurement and payment of 10 000 cellphones to the value of R10m, meant for Covid-19 household screening, was effected.
The department could only manage to distribute 388 of the 10 000 cellphones between September 2020 and March 2021, and the cellphones were distributed without the required screening application, added Kganyago.
Health spokesperson Neil Shikwambana referred Polokwane Observer to the Premier’s Office, where spokesperson Willy Mosoma, referred Polokwane Observer back to the Health Department.
Mhlongo confirmed the freezing of her pension fund, but declined to comment further saying she had not been well and is focusing on her health at this time.
