Northern Cape health without permanent head for 20 months and counting
Organised labour and opposition parties in the province are concerned over the impact that the leadership instability has on healthcare services.Dr Dion Theys was the acting HOD until about August/September 2021. Theys, along with the department’s chief financial officer, Daniel Gaborone, appeared in the Kimberly Magistrates’ Court in August 2021 and both were released on R20 000 bail each.
“It is alleged that in 2017, between August and October, while Jonkers was the health HOD, he fraudulently awarded a security tender for the department to Defensor Electronic Security Systems for an amount exceeding R384 million. It is further alleged that the directors of the company submitted fraudulent documents in order to gain an unfair advantage over others to be awarded the tender as the highest bidder,” the statement reads.
When Spotlight asked Majaha why he could not reveal the names of the two acting officials he told Spotlight: “It is difficult for us to reveal names of acting positions, especially HOD and CFO, since the positions are not sustainable. These are month-to-month contracts and the acting person may be removed at any time. So until the posts are permanently filled, we cannot confirm names.”
Moleme Moleme, provincial secretary for the National Education, Health and Allied Workers’ Union , agreed: “Ordering of medicines and supplies is affected, causing suppliers not to deliver. Payment for the repair of equipment and maintenance is delayed and service providers, in turn, withdraw certain services. Even staff appointments get delayed despite critical shortages of nurses and emergency care practitioners.”
“Of course it is a huge disruption for a department to function without a [permanent] head, but if the head is too corrupt or unable to manage the department correctly, it is better off without a head.” The Central Chronic Medicine Dispensing and Distribution programme is an important lever to get medicines to people, but all the districts performed poorly on this too, hence the report notes the need for an “urgent resuscitation” of this programme.
My arrest was a waste of money and resources, and I am supposed to go back to work. The SIU report has cleared my name of all the charges of corruption, money laundering and fraud. So now it is interesting to see what is going to happen in court when we go back on April 13. Will the charges be thrown out? I don’t know.
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