Durban – Three senior officials at the KwaZulu-Natal health department have resigned, including the long serving acting chief financial officer Sihle Mkhize.
KwaZulu-Natal health department spokesperson Sam Mkhwanazi on Sunday confirmed the resignation of Mkhize.
He also confirmed the resignation of Credo Mlaba and Siphiwe Mndaweni. Mlaba was the department’s chief director for supply chain management and its acting general manager for legal services.
Mndaweni was the deputy director general for the district health services, a post she had taken up only at the beginning of last year. The reasons for the resignations were not immediately known, but Mkhwanazi said they had resigned for personal reasons.
“The department can confirm that the individuals mentioned in the media enquiry have resigned for personal reasons which remain private. The department would like to thank them for their valuable contribution to serve the people of KwaZulu-Natal and wish them well in their respective new endeavours," he said.
Mkhize has served as acting chief financial officer since Ndoda Biyela was given his marching orders in about April 2015 when it emerged that the former head of department Dr Sibongile Zungu had appointed him (Biyela) without anyone’s knowledge to replace the axed Mashaka Enos Ravhura.
No permanent appointment to the position has been made as Ravhura is contesting his dismissal in court. During Mkhize’s tenure, the department signed off on a controversial R2.5-billion leasing deal with Resultant Finance that has stymied the purchase and maintenance of medical equipment in the province.
It was also during his tenure that the department agreed to a deal to repair and maintain two state of the art cancer machines at Durban’s Addington Hospital that broke literally every rule governing the way government departments are meant to procure services.
Late last year, KwaZulu-Natal finance MEC Belinda Scott announced that one of her senior officials would be deployed to the department in a bid to rein in runaway spending, which was expected to be in excess of R1-billion in the 2015/16 financial year. Mlaba could not be reached for comment on his resignations, while Mkhize said he was in a meeting and would return the call.
However, despite repeated efforts Mkhize could not again be reached for comment. Mndaweni refused to confirm or deny her resignation. “I don’t understand why you should ask me something which I consider it of a personal nature. I don’t understand why you are calling me,” she said, before referring all queries to the department and hanging up.
It was not known when the resignations would become effective, but it is understood all three tendered their resignations in the past week.