‘Fraud, mayhem’ at top health lab

Former National Health Laboratory Service industrial relations manager Senzeni Ndlangisa lost his job after 12 years' service.

Former National Health Laboratory Service industrial relations manager Senzeni Ndlangisa lost his job after 12 years' service.

Published Jul 29, 2015

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Johannesburg - Former employees of the National Health Laboratory Service (NHLS) allege that its former chief executive Dr Saggie Pillay’s tenure at the body was marred by corruption – and that whistle-blowers were dealt with swiftly.

In 2012, former NHLS industrial relations manager Senzeni Ndlangisa lost his job after 12 years’ service after a junior employee accused him of sexual harassment.

Ndlangisa said he was falsely accused in order to derail his investigation into alleged irregular payments authorised by a senior female human resources staff member to recruitment company Holystic Approach.

A 2010 forensic audit had previously found that this staff member, whose name is known to Health-e News, also violated procurement policies when she authorised payments to a stationery company that was accused of providing kick-backs to other NHLS staff in exchange for business.

A former colleague of Ndlangisa’s has backed his claim that whistle-blowers at the lab service were targeted during Pillay’s tenure.

Wishing to remain anonymous for fear of victimisation, the man told Health-e News that the NHLS board had been informed of the alleged corruption numerous times, but had failed to act.

“Ndlangisa was adamant to continue with the investigation, but the chief executive isolated him,” said the man, who added that he too had faced victimisation for investigating alleged corruption.

“There was a time when money was being misused, and I tried to intervene because I could see the chief executive was going astray,” said the man, who is no longer an NHLS employee. “He used his people to isolate me.

“Towards the end of his term, he was giving short and long-term contracts even to companies that were not recommended by the adjudication team,” the man pointed out.

In 2014, Health-e News and Corruption Watch broke the news that the Hawks were investigating a former Wits University dean and NHLS head for his alleged role in the laboratory’s procurement of HIV testing kits worth R18 million that never arrived.

The alleged incident also took place during Pillay’s time at the lab services. CCMA figures showed the NHLS saw a 33 percent increase in CCMA employee cases against it after Pillay took office in 2009. But Pillay declined to comment.

Ndlangisa offered to take a polygraph test to prove he hadn’t sexually harassed his accuser, and suggested she do the same. Though his accuser initially agreed, she later refused.

But the NHLS refused to test either, citing an inability to pay for the tests despite having previously paid for such tests in cases of alleged employee fraud, Ndlangisa pointed out.

Proven to be 90 percent accurate, polygraph tests cost less than R1 000, according to South African Professional Polygraph Association president Chris Jensen.

Ndlangisa paid to take a polygraph test, and passed, but was dismissed.

“I was committed to rooting out corruption. When I started asking questions and investigating, I rattled a few people, and they just wanted to find a way to deter me and shift the focus,” Ndlangisa explained.

“The same woman accusing me of sexual harassment was working in the same department as the person who was being investigated,” he added.

Ndlangisa has alleged that in 2011, Holystic Approach received payment even prior to a recruited candidate taking up his position at the lab service, in contravention of NHLS policies, which require that payment be made only 30 days after goods and services have been delivered.

“Ever since this company got business from the NHLS, their payment was prioritised,” Ndlangisa said. “Management in the human resources department called the accountants and would shout at them to pay immediately. That is clearly flouting company policy.”

Employee records show the man initially recruited by Holystic Approach never took up the position, according to Ndlangisa.

A Holystic Approach invoice seen by Health-e News shows the company billed the NHLS R79 800 for recruiting the man.

Holystic Approach’s owner, Nomakwayi Tisani, denies this, saying the man worked at the NHLS briefly. She added that after the man left, Holystic Approach replaced him with another candidate at no additional cost to the lab service.

Tisani also denied any personal relationship with human resources staff, including the woman who accused Ndlangisa of sexual harassment.

Ndlangisa’s NHLS dismissal was eventually overturned by the CCMA, which recommended that he be reinstated.

The NHLS failed to do so and appealed against the CCMA’s decision. The NHLS’s failure to submit paperwork promptly has dragged out the appeal process. Almost two years later, the case is expected to be heard at the Labour Court in Joburg next month.

If the court upholds the CCMA’s decision, the NHLS could owe Ndlangisa more than R2 million, Ndlangisa’s attorney Bart Ford said.

“Corruption has been happening over a number of years at the NHLS and everyone relevant is fully aware of it,” Ndlangisa said.

The NHLS declined to comment.

Health-e News

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