Gauteng’s battle to contain the surge of Covid-19 infections was dealt a blow after the province’s health MEC was forced to take a four-week leave of absence over a procurement scandal that has also engulfed President Cyril Ramaphosa’s spokesperson, Khusela Diko.
A visibly angry premier David Makhura said the scandal over the supply of personal protective equipment, which is under investigation by the Special Investigating Unit (SIU), has undermined efforts by SA’s economic powerhouse in the fight against the pandemic, which has killed almost 7,500 people nationally and wrecked the economy.
He was disappointed that MEC Bandile Masuku, who he said had been leading the province’s efforts well, was “facing allegations I can’t ignore”, and that the scandal was distracting from the province’s work.
Masuku is the second health MEC the premier has had to take action against in the wake of mass public pressure relating to problems in the department.
Former MEC Qedani Mahlangu resigned on the eve of the release of a report in February 2017 following a judicial commission of inquiry into the deaths of more than 140 psychiatric patients after the provincial government moved them from a specialised Life Healthcare Esidimeni facility to unregistered organisations in a cost-saving exercise.
The probe into the tenders awarded to companies to provide PPE is a massive blow to Makhura’s anticorruption focus in the province, which has included an open tender system that has been running over the past five years.
The PPE tenders were awarded under emergency procurement, and therefore not subject to the open tender system, Makhura said.
“This PPE story has the potential to sidetrack us from the battle of saving lives. And it’s shameful. Utterly shameful,” Makhura said.
While the recoveries in the province were increasing and active cases were going down, Makhura said the peak had not yet hit Gauteng.
In July, the province overtook the Western Cape, which has since survived its peak without running out of hospital bedsor medical supplies, as the province with the most cases and deaths.
The scandal erupted after the Sunday Independent linked presidential spokesperson Diko and the Masuku family to multi-million-rand tenders awarded to a company owned by Diko’s husband. She took a leave of absence earlier this week.
The fallout over the tender continued on Thursday with the ANC’s provincial executive committee deciding that Masuku and his wife Loyiso, who is a member of the mayoral committee in Johannesburg, should also take aleave of absence while a probe was ongoing.
Ramaphosa last week signed a proclamation authorising the SIU to investigate any unlawful or improper conduct in the procurement of any goods, works and services during or related to the national state of disaster in any state institution.
It means the unit can probe any allegations relating to the misuse of Covid-19 relief funds.
Makhura said public transport and roads infrastructure MEC Jacob Mamabolo would also take over the health portfolio in an acting capacity.
He asked health minister Zweli Mkhize for a technical team to be deployed to assist the province.
The additional help is needed because Mamabolo, unlike Masuku, who is a doctor, does not have medical expertise.
Jack Bloom, health spokesperson for the DA in Gauteng, said it was “utterly incredible” that the department was again embroiled in scandal just a few years after the Life Esidimeni tragedy.
He said “corruption is too embedded in the ANC to be easily removed,” and that the “usual vultures” swooped in to take advantage of the tenders, while many hospital staff do not have proper PPE and have become infected.
“We now have a headless department in the midst of a pandemic, and premier David Makhura should also be held accountable for this disaster.
“He appointed Masuku and failed to effectively monitor what was happening in his department. He failed with Life Esidimeni and he is failing now,” Bloom said.
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