Durban - The IFP on Wednesday demanded that KwaZulu-Natal's health department explain how it came to lease a mobile hospital vehicle for R52 million.
“Both the MEC (Sibongiseni Dhlomo) and the head of department (Sibongile Zungu) must be held accountable in this matter,” Inkatha Freedom Party health spokeswoman, Ncamisile Nkwanyana, said in a statement.
She was reacting to an investigation by Sapa and published on Tuesday which revealed that the department would spend about R61m on two vehicles, one of which was a mobile hospital vehicle leased from Mzansi Lifecare (Pty) Ltd for R52.5m over three years.
The IFP called on the department to explain how the bid evaluation and adjudication committees decided that Mzansi Lifecare's bid was the best, and how many companies submitted bids to provide the mobile hospital units.
“There is evidence that the department could have purchased the unit outright from a US company for R12.5m instead of leasing from Mzansi Lifecare for R52.5m,” said Nkwanyana.
Sapa determined that a similar vehicle shipped from the United States to Durban would cost R12.5m.
Nkwanyana said Zungu should be fired.
“We don't trust her as the HOD if things like this can happen under her watch. If she is not involved in this scandal she must provide all the facts around this tender and clear her name.”
She said the IFP would ask Public Protector Thuli Madonsela to investigate.
Sapa