184 Gauteng Health staff have businesses that deal with government - DA

DA Gauteng MPL Jack Bloom. Picture: Thembelihle Mkhonza/African News Agency (ANA)

DA Gauteng MPL Jack Bloom. Picture: Thembelihle Mkhonza/African News Agency (ANA)

Published Oct 6, 2019

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Johannesburg - Altogether 184 staff who work for the Gauteng health department (GHD) have their own private businesses that deal with government departments, including the GHD, the Democratic Alliance said on Sunday.

"This is revealed by Gauteng health MEC Bandile Masuku in a written reply to my questions in the Gauteng legislature," DA Gauteng shadow health MEC Jack Bloom said in a statement.

These employees were identified by the Gauteng audit service and the auditor general’s 2018/19 report, he said.

They were involved in a wide range of businesses, including medical supplies, food, events management, health publishing, emergency care, security, and funeral services.

It was not presently known how many GHD staff received business from the department itself. According to Masuku, “A detailed report has been requested from the head of department. A deadline of Monday the 14th October 2019 has been given. Once the information has been provided it will be forwarded to the legislature.”

Bloom said he was concerned that employees doing business with their own department had taken so long to uncover. This was highly irregular in a department that had suffered many corruption scandals.

"I look forward to the detailed report that has been promised, which should be followed by strict discipline of staff who are caught out in this matter," Bloom said.

African News Agency (ANA)

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