The Democratic Alliance (DA) demands that the Gauteng Health Department stop buying from companies linked to the fishy Tembisa Hospital contracts that murdered whistleblower Babita Deokaran tried to halt.
It is outrageous that R327 000 was paid last year for toilet rolls from Nokokhokho Medical Supplies – one of three companies owned by ANC Ekurhuleni Treasurer-General Sello Sekhokho which got 55 contracts worth R14.5 million from Tembisa Hospital from 2019 to 2021.
This purchase is revealed by Gauteng Health MEC Nomantu-Nkomo Ralehoko in a written reply to my questions in the Gauteng Legislature.
She admits there were irregularities in the Tembisa Hospital contracts to Sekhokho’s companies, and that the SIU and Hawks are investigating them. But they have not been blacklisted as “The Department has not received feedback with regards to the investigation in relation to the three companies to proceed with blacklisting the companies involved.”
The MEC is disingenuous as there is ample justification to bar all implicated companies from further contracts without waiting for a final investigation report.
Shortly before her death, Babita had red-flagged contracts worth R850 million from 217 suppliers to Tembisa Hospital as “possibly fraudulent.” According to the SIU, the total suspected fraud is more than R2 billion.
In March 2023, the Hawks raided Sekhokho’s home and business premises, and he remains under investigation along with other implicated figures.
Sekhokho’s companies have also scored 225 contracts worth R84 million from other Gauteng public hospitals. These deals included blatant overpricing, such as jerseys costing R11 500 each, and R10 000 for men’s shoes.
Another scandal is that Nkomo-Ralehoko is reportedly supporting Sekhokho in his bid to be elected as ANC Ekurhuleni Regional Chairperson.
This shows the utter shamelessness of the ANC in Ekurhuleni which appears untroubled by Sekhokho’s enrichment with questionable state contracts.
I will be asking further questions to check whether other corruption-linked companies are still getting contracts from the department.
The DA proposes rigorous checks to ensure hospital contracts are cost-effective and fairly awarded so the budget can provide quality healthcare.