At least four companies that the Special Investigative Unit is investigating in the Tembisa Hospital corruption scandal have received contracts worth R1.2 million in the last three months.
This is despite pledges that companies implicated in the Tembisa corruption would be blacklisted,
Gauteng Health MEC Nomantu Nkomo-Ralehoko gave a reply to Shadow MEC for Health Jack Bloom’s questions in the Gauteng Legislature.
All four companies are linked to businessman Paul Mojalefa Mokoena, who is also associated with companies irregularly awarded contacts at Tembisa Hospital which murdered whistleblower Babita Deokaran wanted to stop.
The MEC said there were irregularities in all the contracts awarded to Mokoena’s 14 companies, and none of them are registered with the SA Health Products Regulatory Authority (SAHPRA).
In the list of payments given in reply to Bloom’s questions on the Mokoena-linked companies, the following recent contracts were noted between 19 July and 14 September 2023:
- The Mafahla Group: 5 contracts for milk products for R170 936 to Sebokeng Hospital;
- Oneall Distributors: 7 contracts for meat for R482 150 to Sebokeng;
- Mafahla: 2 contracts for surgical materials for R63 000 to Pholosong Hospital;
- Meiday Trading and Projects: 7 contracts for meat for R447 000 to Sebokeng;
- Oneall: one contract for diesel for R360 000, and 2 contracts for fish for R432 200 to Tambo Memorial Hospital;
- Malito: 6 contracts for 41 pairs of shoes for R38 950 to Tambo.
‘It is outrageous that these companies, which are being investigated for alleged bid-rigging, are still getting contracts. They were all awarded by hospital CEOs on a request for quotation basis as they are under R1 million.
The DA calls for effective measures to immediately halt contracts to the 224 companies implicated in vile corruption that steals money needed to fix our ailing hospitals’ said Bloom.