Johannesburg – Officials from the Democratic Alliance (DA) – including Solly Msimanga, the party’s Gauteng Provincial Leader and Leader of the official opposition in the Gauteng Provincial Legislature – were on Wednesday barred from entering Tembisa Hospital.
Commenting on the matter, the DA said: “In a shocking display of disregard for constitutional rights, MPLs Solly Msimanga, Jack Bloom, and Refiloe Ntsekhe were unlawfully denied access to Tembisa Hospital during an unannounced oversight visit today, upon instruction of Health MEC Nomanthu Nkomo Ralehoko”.
The party added: “This denial follows distressing reports received by the DA alleging that patients were compelled to sleep in tents and on the floor.
“This refusal to grant access raises the question, MEC Ralehoko… What are you hiding?”
The DA said Tembisa Hospital has become synonymous with illegality, marked by fraudulent transactions that have cost the institution nearly R1 billion.
“Shockingly, this includes the procurement of plastic buckets at an exorbitant cost of almost R10 000 each,” the DA statement.
Msimanga said the corruption plaguing Tembisa Hospital is not victimless.
“It directly impacts patients who bear the brunt, often at the cost of their lives, within a failing healthcare system,” said Msimanga.
“The severity of corruption is further highlighted by the tragic fate of whistleblowers like Babbitt Deokaran, who paid the ultimate price for exposing rampant corruption within the department.
“It is imperative that Health MEC Nomanthu Nkomo Ralehoko is held accountable for the unlawful denial of oversight at Tembisa Hospital.”
The DA Gauteng leader said the blatant disregard for the rule of law by ANC Health MECs has contributed to the complete decay of the Gauteng Health system.
“While companies aligned with the ANC are granted unchecked access to loot, it is the residents of Gauteng who bear the brunt of this crisis,” Msimanga said.
“The DA said it will initiate proceedings against Health MEC Ralehoko for obstructing the constitutional mandate of MPLs to conduct oversight.
“The widespread corruption and maladministration within our Gauteng health system must be brought to light.
“Additionally, we will be pressing Parliament to account for the absence of any arrests thus far, despite the well-documented corruption outlined in the SIU [Special Investigating Unit] report, which has severely impacted Tembisa Hospital.”