OPPOSITION parties in Limpopo are not pleased with the provincial Department of Health.
This after the Conty Lebepe Foundation uncovered that the department allegedly issued coal supply tenders to 14 hospitals that do not have coal facilities and had never used coal before.
ActionSA’s provincial chairman, Sello Lediga, said the department is notorious for dodgy tenders and lack of accountability. He said they are sick and tired of the department, which always finds itself in the media for all the wrong reasons.
“Not long ago it was the PPE scandal, followed by a spectacularly prompt acceptance of the resignation of the HOD who was investigated for possible PPE corruption and now this dodgy tender. We will follow this allegation of corruption until we get to the bottom of this injustice,” he said.
The DA has also written to the Limpopo Legislature Health Portfolio Committee chairman, Simon Mathe, asking for a meeting with Health MEC Dr Phophi Ramathuba and acting HOD Muthweiwana Dombo to provide clarity on details of the department’s coal tender and progress of any investigations into the matter.
DA spokesman for health, Risham Maharaj, said Ramathuba has reportedly acknowledged an investigation into the matter while the HOD reportedly had no knowledge of any internal investigation into the matter.
Maharaj said the department has never raised issues of an internal investigation or the irregularities around this coal tender with the portfolio committee on health.
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“Ramathuba, together with her acting HOD, must appear before the portfolio committee and provide all relevant details around the awarding of the tender, any investigations into the matter and any consequence management for the officials involved,” he said.
Limpopo Health spokesman, Neil Shikwambana, told Daily Sun that the procurement processes for this tender had not been concluded when the issue was brought to light.
“Therefore, there has been zero activity in so far as the work pertaining to the tender is concerned. No work has been done, no order has been issued and no payment has been made,” he said.
He said they take note of the public discomfort caused by the leaked internal documents, which are part of an internal investigation into the tender.
