Note to Editors: Please see the attached soundbite in English here
While the Gauteng Legislature Health Oversight Committee meeting yesterday shed some light on the controversial appointment of ANC Youth League (ANCYL) members to hospital boards, it failed to answer key questions about fairness, merit, and transparency in the selection process.
Head of Department Lesiba Malotana made a presentation that revealed the following:
1. There were 820 valid applications for 229 positions at 34 hospitals.
2. The advertisement called for professionals with expertise in Legal, Finance, Strategic Management, Information Management, Human Resources, Governance, Medicine, and/or health-related backgrounds. Alternatively, be a member of the community served by the respective hospital with a proven record of community development and involvement.
3. A panel of senior officials assessed the applications without any interviews.
4. There were 213 appointments, so there are 16 vacancies.
5. Payment is R210 per hour for a chairperson, with a maximum of R3500 a month. The rate for an ordinary board member is R160 per hour, with a maximum of R1900 a month.
Malotana said at the induction meeting of new board members there was “huge misunderstanding” about the role of the board, which has no executive function, and there was an expectation of remuneration.
I pointed out to Health MEC Nomantu Nkomo-Ralehoko that ANCYL Provincial Secretary Mpume Sangweni has claimed that 10 ANCYL members were appointed, saying it was important that young people occupied positions of power across all spheres of influence. This is an appalling motivation when the focus should be getting competent people who can help the hospital in treating patients with dignity and care.
It is highly suspicious that 10 out of 28 youth members appointed are members of the ANCYL.
The department needs to provide the details of their qualifications and the reasons for their appointments as opposed to other applicants.
They have undertaken to come back to the committee with the required information, which hopefully allows for a proper assessment as to whether the ANCYL members received undue preference.
The DA believes that high-powered people need to be appointed to hospital boards, serving with community spirit rather than motivated by power or money.