The Special Investigating Unit (SIU) welcomes the Gauteng Government’s outcomes from the disciplinary inquiry initiated against nine officials from the Gauteng Department of Health and the Department of Infrastructure Development. These officials faced charges relating to alleged irregularities in awarding contracts for refurbishing the Anglo Ashanti Hospital in 2022.
Following the SIU’s consequence management recommendations, the Office of the Premier took disciplinary action against the implicated officials employed by the Gauteng Department of Health (GDoH) and the Gauteng Department of Infrastructure Development (GDID).
The SIU’s investigation uncovered evidence of financial misconduct involving several individuals from GDoH and GDID. The Gauteng Government acted on the SIU’s recommendations and charged the officials involved. The outcome is as follows:
- Head of Infrastructure Development: GDoH – Dismissed
- Acting Head of Department: GDID – Dismissed
- Acting Director, Health Infrastructure: GDID – Dismissed
- Acting Chief Financial Officer and Head of SCM: GDID – Dismissed
- Acting Deputy Director-General, Health Branch: GDID)-Dismissed
- Project Manager, Infrastructure Development: GDoH – Final Written Warning
- Acting Chief Director, Health Infrastructure: GDID – Final Written Warning
- Project Manager: GDID – Contract employment ended during the hearing
- Acting Deputy Director-General, Hospital Services: GDoH- Acquitted
The evidence gathered by the SIU indicates that around March 19, 2020, the AngloGold Ashanti Hospital (AGA Hospital) refurbishment project began under the GDID on behalf of the GDoH. However, during this process, no supply chain management policies or procedures were followed when procuring service providers and contractors for the refurbishment.
Furthermore, the GDoH was misled into believing that only minor renovations were needed at the AGA Hospital. This is a contravention of the Public Finance Management Act and National Treasury’s regulations, causing the GDoH to incur fruitless and wasteful for goods and services supplied.
The SIU was mandated through Proclamation No. R. 23 of 2020 to investigate the affairs of all State institutions regarding procurement or contracting for goods, works, and services during or in respect of the National State of Disaster by or on behalf of State institutions.
The disciplinary actions show that state institutions are acting on the results of the SIU investigation and implementing the consequences to hold officials implicated to account, recover assets and financial losses incurred by these institutions, and prevent further losses. We urge all state institutions to take decisive action to clean up our government and state entities from the corruption that has plagued them.
Kaizer Kganyago
Spokesperson: Special Investigating Unit
082 306 8888
Kkganyago@siu.org.za