Note to editors: Please find attached English soundbite by Dr Jack Bloom MPL.
Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi has reacted to my disclosure of the hush money payment to former Gauteng Health Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Lerato Madyo by admitting that she left with a monetary settlement rather than the previous claim that she had resigned.
The Premier says that his office was asked to provide retroactive approval for this arrangement, but declined to do so, citing the lack of consultation or prior involvement of his office.
He says that an independent legal firm has been appointed “to investigate the matter and determine whether the agreement was handled correctly and to advise on any further action required.”
Ms Madyo left on 31 July 2024, but the Premier has only now revealed that a legal firm has been appointed to investigate this agreement and recommend what action should be taken.
We need to know when this firm was appointed and why it has taken so long to report on this matter.
The Premier should have acted far sooner if he disagreed with what looks like a golden handshake to the person who covered up the fraudulent payments at the Tembisa hospital that were flagged by murdered whistleblower Babita Deokaran.
It is yet another reason why Gauteng Health MEC Nomantu Nkomo-Ralehoko should be fired.
She says that Madyo was not mentioned in the SIU interim reports on the R2 billion that was looted from Tembisa Hospital, but National Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi said in Parliament last year that the SIU is investigating Madyo’s role and is also looking at the way she left the department.
Speedy and decisive action is needed to stop corruption, not the pussyfooting that we see from the Gauteng Provincial Government.
The DA will pursue all avenues to ensure that everything is revealed in this matter, and that the criminal charges we laid against Madyo last year result in her arrest and appearance in court.