The MEC for Health, Montseng Tsiu, told members of the Provincial Legislature during her 2022/23 budget speech that her department is taking action against those officials. Her statement comes after the Special Tribunal (Tribunal) in January 2022, declared the decision of the Free State Treasury and Health, to award a tender worth R39.1 million for surgical gowns, invalid and unlawful. Opposition parties raised their concerns with the MEC and accused her of folding her arms while not addressing this. Tsiu, however, dispelled the accused and said motions were in place to address this.

The Special Tribunal also ordered all respondents, including Free State Treasury and Health, to pay the SIU's legal costs. The R39.1 million tender awarded by the Free State Treasury and Department of Health to 32 service providers to supply surgical gowns, in response to the Covid-19 pandemic, has been reviewed and set aside.

Meanwhile, the current Acting Head of the Health Department (HOD), Godfrey Mahlatsi, is accused, amongst 16 other officials, including his predecessor, David Motau, for contravening the Public Finance Management Act (PFMA). 

Read more: #BreakingNews: Current FS Health HOD is in cuffs

In a separate case, the group, including Mahlatsi, stands accused of fraud which allegedly took place between 2011 and 2015, involving several service providers. 

According to the Hawks' provincial spokesperson, Christopher Singo, “it’s alleged invoices the department used to pay out over R8 million to said service providers, were falsified and forged”.

The state maintains that Motau and Mahlatsi were notified by the Auditor-General (AG) that something was amiss with respect to R8 million worth of tenders awarded between January 2011 and December 2015.

Also read: FS HOD failed to report tender fraud to authorities NPA

OFM News previously reported that the National Health and Allied Workers Union (Nehawu) in the Free State has since expressed its disappointment with the alleged reluctance of Premier Sisi Ntombela to take decisive action and immediately suspend Mahlatsi, pending his corruption case.  

Also read: Questions mounting over possible suspension of Health HOD

Tsiu on Tuesday tabled the 2022/23 budget of the Department of Health in the Free State, amounting to R12 711 441 000, which she says represents a marginal increase of 0.9% on the 2021/2022 allocation against the headline consumer price index (CPI) projection of 4.2%.

This budget was distributed amongst the following budget programmes:

1.Administration: R311.2 million

2.District Health Services: R5.833 billion

3.Emergency Medical Services: R787.3 million

4.Provincial Hospitals: R1.604 billion

5.Central (and Tertiary) Hospitals: R2.919 billion

6.Health Sciences & Training: R329.5 million

7.Health Care Support Services: R186 million

8.Health Facilities (Infrastructure) Management: R741.2 million

“This budget will impact positively on the lives of Free Staters whilst directing us to the fulfilment of our vision of delivering a healthy and long life for the Free State community,” Tsiu added.

OFM News