The CEO of Robert Mangaliso Sobukwe Hospital has been appointed as the acting head of the Northern Cape Department of Health while officials who were recently arrested have been deployed, pending internal investigations.
THE CEO of Robert Mangaliso Sobukwe Hospital, Dr Alistair Kantani, has been appointed as the acting head of the Northern Cape Department of Health while officials who were recently arrested have been deployed, pending internal investigations.
Seven officials were charged with fraud, corruption, money laundering and contravening the Public Finance Management Act (PFMA) relating to the procurement of personal protective equipment (PPE) to the value of R16.9 million by the Department of Health.
The head of department (HOD), Dr Dion Theys; the chief financial officer (CFO), Daniel Gaborone; the deputy director of finance, Victor Nyokong; supply chain management officials at the Department of Health, Montgomery Lifa Faas, a director, and Siyabolela Booi, an assistant director; assistant director Goitsemodimo Piet Moseki and the deputy director in the nursing directorate, Elizabeth Dibueng Manyetsa, who are both attached to the Communicable Diseases unit; the director of Stilofern (Pty) Ltd, Kelebogile Agnes Bogatso; and the director of MKW Investments (Pty) Ltd, Kanyaditswe McDonald Visser, are expected to reappear in the Kimberley Magistrate’s Court on October 16.
The spokesperson for the MEC for Health, Lebogang Majaha, said internal investigations would unfold in the interests of good governance and accountability.
“The MEC for the Department of Health, Maruping Lekwene, held a series of consultations with relevant statutory bodies, including the Office of the Premier, following the arrests,” said Majaha.
“The MEC took into account the need to strike a balance between protecting the image of the department, the rights of the employees who were charged, public interest and restoring the stability of health-care services.”
Lekwene, on September 13, announced that Kantani had duly been appointed as acting HOD with effect from September 8.
He added that as a precautionary measure, the HOD, Dr Dion Theys, had been transferred to the post of a medical director at the Department of Health, pending the internal investigation.
“The CFO, Daniel Gaborone, has also been transferred as a precautionary measure, from the Department of Health to the Department of Transport, Safety and Liaison into the vacant CFO position. The department will identify and appoint a suitable official to act in the CFO position vacated by Gaborone.”
Lekwene indicated that the department would institute the necessary internal processes against the remaining four officials who were facing charges of fraud, corruption and money laundering.
“It must be noted that one of the former accused officials (Manyetsa) has already retired,” he stated.
The HOD for the Department of Education, Moira Marais-Martin, was apparently deployed this week, while an acting HOD has yet to be appointed.
Parents, community members, the National Education, Health and Allied Workers Union (Nehawu), the Public Servants Association (PSA) and the South African Democratic Teachers Union (Sadtu) handed over a memorandum in June calling for the removal of the HOD for Education and all educators accused of sexual offences.
They believed that the HOD was not acting against officials implicated in allegations of sexual abuse.
