The recent decision by the Gauteng Health Department to reinstate senior officials who were suspended in connection with the AngloGold Ashanti Hospital refurbishment debacle is of great concern, and is inexplicable.
These officials, who spent an astounding 33 months at home on full pay while facing allegations of irregularly appointing contractors, are being brought back into their roles before the final decision of the disciplinary hearing has been presented.
This decision undermines accountability, and good governance in the Gauteng provincial government.
By reinstating individuals whose ethics and actions were under scrutiny, the department has sent a troubling message that due process and ethical considerations are secondary to expedience.
Adding to the confusion is the contradictory stance taken by the Gauteng Department of Infrastructure Development (GDID). Unlike Health, the Infrastructure Department has firmly stated that its suspended officials will not return to work, citing statutory restrictions.
This inconsistency between the Health and Infrastructure departments highlights the subjectiveness of this decision, and undermines public confidence in the administration’s ability to manage such matters equitably.
The officials in question were suspended following allegations of irregularities in the awarding of contracts related to the refurbishment of the AngloGold Ashanti Hospital. Initially budgeted at R50 million, the project’s costs ballooned to an eye-watering R500 million, with the facility ultimately deemed unusable and abandoned.
Despite these unresolved issues, the Health Department’s decision to return the suspended officials to work, before their disciplinaries are complete, undermines their ongoing disciplinary processes.
This situation not only reflects poorly on the department’s commitment to ethical governance but also places the integrity of the provincial administration under a cloud.
How can the government justify such a decision, especially when taxpayers continue to shoulder the financial burden of this fiasco?
The reinstatement of these officials sets a dangerous precedent. It risks normalizing the return of individuals accused of misconduct before their names are cleared, further eroding trust in public institutions.
I have written to Premier Panyaza Lesufi, asking him to clarify these inconsistencies and questionable decisions.
Gauteng residents deserve a government that stands up for accountability and transparency, not one that ignores a R500 million scandal with zero accountability so far.