The Democratic Alliance welcomes the statement by SAHPRA (South African Health Products Regulatory Authority) that they are investigating alleged procurement by Tembisa Hospital of hospital consumables and medical devices in breach of the Medicines and Related Substances Act (Act 101 of 1965, as amended).
According to SAHPRA, they are working with the South African Police Service (SAPS) and the Special Investigating Unit (SIU), and the Acting CEO of Tembisa hospital is cooperating with SAHPRA officials.
I wrote to SAHPRA earlier this week concerning 12 companies that got R381 million in contracts from Gauteng public hospitals in the last three years, but according to Gauteng Health MEC Nomantu Nkomo-Ralehoko, they were not registered with SAPHRA. This information is contained in an official reply to my questions in the Gauteng Legislature – R356 million of the payments were from Tembisa Hospital, R22 million from Mamelodi Hospital, and R2.4 million from other hospitals.
These companies are linked to Mr Hangwani Morgan Maumela, a nephew by President Cyril Ramaphosa’s first marriage, and also reportedly close to the president’s chief adviser Bejani Chauke.
Maumela has been identified as a central figure (the “Don”) in the Tembisa Hospital purchases that murdered whistle-blower Babita Deokaran flagged as “possibly corrupt, scoring R36 million in contracts last year in one month alone.
He also has ties to Bejani Chauke, who is Ramaphosa’s principal political advisor. They are neighbours in a plush Hyde Park complex in walking distance of Ramaphosa’s private residence.
There are significant penalties for non-registration with SAHPRA. My view is that non-compliant companies should be barred from doing any further business with the Gauteng Health Department.
