Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi is backtracking on the removal of Health Department Head Mr Lesiba Malotana after indicating weeks ago that it was “being finalised”.
This is my conclusion following his terse reply to my oral questions this morning in the Gauteng Legislature. I asked whether Lesiba had failed his lifestyle audit, and he said he was awaiting the result of the audit, which was the only one outstanding.
On 17 July, Lesufi announced that he was removing three Heads of Department who failed their lifestyle audits and said the health position was being finalised.
This weekend he announced new and acting heads for departments, but the one for health is “pending”.
He was clearly intending to replace Malotana, but it seems there is heavy pushback from entrenched interests.
This is despite the department’s poor performance, including underspending of R725 million in the last financial year. Furthermore, a court judgement found the department’s failure to treat cancer patients was unlawful and unconstitutional.
Lesufi did not reply to my question whether he considers Malotana a high-risk individual, but this is surely the case as there is a SIU investigation concerning two contracts in which he allegedly shared more than R10 million in bribes with two other officials.
Meanwhile, patients suffer in poorly managed hospitals, and scandals proliferate, including fishy contracts and adverse Auditor-General reports.
I told Lesufi in the House that he would effectively cease to be Premier if he was unable to remove Malotana who seems to enjoy very high-level political protection.
Lesufi said he was not accountable to me, but he is only accountable to the ANC, which is wrong as should be accountable to the people of Gauteng, not internal factions in his political party.
The DA will continue to press for public disclosure of which officials have failed lifestyle audits, and who should be speedily dismissed from their positions.
A DA-run administration would insist on the highest ethical and professional standards of officials who should serve the public, not themselves.