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The Citizen
an hour ago
- Health
- The Citizen
No interviews, but appointed: DA raises alarm over ANCYL members on Gauteng hospital boards
The DA says appointments to hospital boards should be seen as a public service and not a job. The DA's Health shadow MEC for health in Gauteng, Jack Bloom, says 10 African National Congress Youth League (ANCYL) members who served on various boards in the province's hospitals were not interviewed. Bloom said this information came out during a portfolio committee meeting on Wednesday. Speaking to The Citizen on Thursday, Bloom said the Gauteng health department has failed to respond to questions about the fairness and transparency of the appointment process of these youth leaders. 'A panel of senior officials assessed the applications without any interviews,' he said. Bloom said there were 820 valid applications for 229 positions at 34 hospitals. 'The advertisement called for professionals with expertise in legal, finance, strategic management, information management, human resources, governance, medicine, and/or health-related backgrounds. 'Alternatively, be a member of the community served by the respective hospital with a proven record of community development and involvement.' Board members do not receive a salary Bloom said that while being on the board does not pay an enormous amount of money, those serving on these boards should not use these positions to make money. 'Payment is R210 per hour for a chairperson, with a maximum of R3 500 a month. The rate for an ordinary board member is R160 per hour, with a maximum of R1 900 a month,' he said. Reasons for ANC members' appointments Bloom said what is further shocking is that upon the induction of the new board members, there was an expectation of remuneration. There were also misunderstandings about the work the board members do. 'I pointed out to Health MEC Nomantu Nkomo-Ralehoko that ANCYL provincial secretary Mpume Sangweni has claimed that 10 ANCYL members were appointed, saying it was important that young people occupied positions of power across all spheres of influence. 'This is an appalling motivation when the focus should be on getting competent people who can help the hospital in treating patients with dignity and care. It is highly suspicious that 10 out of 28 youth members appointed are members of the ANCYL,' he said. Bloom said the department must provide reasons for the appointments of the ANC members to the boards. 'The department needs to provide the details of their qualifications and the reasons for their appointments, as opposed to other applicants. 'They have undertaken to come back to the committee with the required information, which hopefully allows for a proper assessment as to whether the ANCYL members received undue preference,' he said. ALSO READ: R10k just to show up: Fear of 'Nkabane 2.0' as ANC Youth League leaders get hospital board positions Gauteng department of Health denies political interference The Citizen had reached out to the Gauteng Department of Health for comment on the allegation made by the DA. Their comment will be added to this story when it is received. However, in a recent media statement, the department denied that there was political interference in these board appointments. 'Such claims are not only baseless but insulting to the more than 200 highly qualified professionals who have volunteered to serve their communities in a role that is not remunerative,' said the department's spokesperson, Motalatale Modiba. ANCYL provincial secretary in Gauteng, Mpumelelo Sangweni told The Citizen that all ANCYL members were appointed on merit and competence. 'Young people applied, and they were appointed because they met the requirements. Nowhere in the requirements did the advertisement require applicants to state their political affiliation. 'To put things into context, out of 220 hospital board members, only 10 are active ANCYL members,' he said. Sangweni said the DA is exaggerating the appointments of ANCLY members on the various boards. 'In the same hospital boards, there are members of other political parties, the clergy and community activists. We still maintain that the baseless targeting of ANCYL members has nothing to do with the hospital boards but the imminent cabinet reshuffle by the Premier,' he said. NOW READ: 'I don't see white people here': Malatji laments lack of diversity in the ANCYL
Daily Maverick
01-07-2025
- Health
- Daily Maverick
Questions over tripling of Gauteng Health's security budget
In just two years, the Gauteng health department's spending on security has more than tripled. Spotlight tries to get to the bottom of the ballooning bills and what it means for governance in the department. The Gauteng Department of Health's projected R2.54-billion spend on security contracts for 2025/2026 has received the thumbs up, fuelling suspicion in various quarters. It comes as the department claims to lack the funds to fill vacancies, pay all suppliers on time or continue fulfilling doctors' overtime contracts. The R2.54-billion is more than three times the R838-million the department spent two years earlier in 2023/2024. This was revealed at the end of May in response to questions raised in the Gauteng Legislature by the Democratic Alliance (DA), the official opposition in the province. In 2024/2025, the department's security spending was just above R1.76-billion. Jack Bloom, DA shadow MEC for health in Gauteng, calls the proposed expenditure 'unjustified', given that the department is failing to meet its health service delivery targets. According to him, security companies charge R77-million per year for guarding services at Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital, and more than R72-million annually at Charlotte Maxeke Hospital. At Tara Hospital, the new security contract costs R14-million a year – a sharp increase from the previous year's R4.2-million contract, which had provided 21 guards for the facility. Bloom says that, according to the department's own assessment, only five additional guards were needed at Tara Hospital, increasing the total to 26. However, the current contract pays for 46 guards. 'This means they are paying about R5-million a year for 20 guards they do not need,' Bloom says. 'They could better use this money to fill the vacancies for 13 professional nurses, as Tara Hospital cannot use 50 of its 137 beds because of staff shortages. It is a clear example of excessive security costs squeezing out service delivery,' he says. 'The numbers simply don't add up,' Bloom says. He points out that the written responses provided in the Gauteng Legislature – signed off by MEC for Health and Wellness, Nomantu Nkomo-Ralehoko – cite an internal security assessment and compliance with Private Security Industry Regulatory Authority (PSIRA) salary increases for guards as reasons for the higher costs. However, the internal assessment has not been shared with either Bloom or Spotlight, despite requests from both. The PSIRA-approved annual increase is 7.38%. In contrast, the department's security spending rose by more than 100% from 2023/2024 to 2024/2025, and is projected to increase by another 40% from 2024/2025 to 2025/2026. According to a statement released by the Gauteng health department in April 2024, it had 113 security companies under contract at the time, providing a total of 6,000 guards across 37 hospitals and 370 clinics and institutions in the province. 'Very fishy' Bloom says security guarding contracts have been 'very fishy for at least the past 10 years'. He claims: 'There are certain security companies that keep popping up. These companies will get two-year contracts, then have their contracts extended for something like 10 years. Then we have these new contracts, which have soared in costs. The auditor general has said that there is irregular expenditure. Security contracts have always been suspect and have always been corruption territory.' In March this year, the DA lodged a complaint with the Public Protector over a R49-million guarding contract for five clinics in Tshwane and the MEC's offices. The contract was awarded to a company called Triotic Protection Services. The DA alleges that the company was founded by City of Tshwane's deputy executive mayor, Eugene Modise, who also previously served as its director. When the company was awarded the contract, it was allegedly in the crosshairs of the South African Revenue Service because it owed R59-million in tax over five years. This has raised concerns about the company's tax compliance status and its eligibility to tender for the contract. Spotlight approached Modise for comment through Samkelo Mgobozi, spokesperson for the office of the executive mayor, but had not received a response by the time of publication. Other security companies that have contracts with the department have also made headlines for allegedly flouting labour laws. These include not paying guards for months and withholding employees' pension and provident fund contributions. It leaves questions about due diligence and the proper vetting of companies. A review under way? In the weeks since Bloom's questions were answered in the legislature, he says Nkomo-Ralehoko conceded to a review of the security spend at the province's hospitals. However, the Gauteng health department has not announced anything formally and no further details have been provided. The department has also neither responded to Spotlight's questions nor provided supporting documentation of its assessment criteria for the security contracts, the tender requirements, tender processes and how it measures value for money and the impact of increased guarding in improving safety and security for patients, staff and visitors to its hospitals. It has also not made available a list of the companies with successful contracts and what their services entail. As Spotlight previously reported in some depth (see here and here), there are serious security problems at many health facilities in Gauteng. It ranges from cable theft disrupting hospital operations to assaults on healthcare workers. The department has also been criticised from some quarters for its plans to train healthcare workers to better handle violent situations. That steps need to be taken to better secure the province's health facilities is not controversial. But previous reporting has also shown a pattern of questionable contract management, with, for example, contracts being extended on a month-to-month basis for years after the original tenders had technically expired. It appears that the widespread use of these month-to-month security contracts came to an end when the department finally awarded a series of new security tenders in 2024, but it also seems likely that these new contracts are driving the department's ballooning security spending. 'Has to be justified' The department's massively increased security spend must be fully explained and is essential for transparency, several experts told Spotlight. 'This kind of escalation in cost has to be justified, especially when the department has no money,' says Professor Alex van den Heever, chair of social security systems administration and management studies at the University of Witwatersrand. He says the specifics of the tender process and the contracts awarded need to be publicly available to be openly scrutinised. The processes must meet Treasury's procurement guidelines and must follow the Public Finance Management Act, which regulates financial management within the national and provincial governments. Where there is wilful non-compliance, Van den Heever says criminal charges should be laid. 'This is a department that has routinely had around R3-billion a year in irregular expenditure. It means procurement procedures have been bypassed. This is not an isolated incident; it's systematic,' he adds. The latest Auditor-General report into the Gauteng health department was released in September last year for the 2023/24 financial year. It showed that of its R60-billion budget, the department underspent by R1.1-billion, including R590-million on the National Tertiary Service Grant that was meant to help fund specialist services. The report highlighted R2.7-billion in irregular expenditure, which is R400-million more than the previous year, and R17-million in fruitless and wasteful spending – an increase of R2-million from the year before. Equally damning, the report highlighted the lack of credible information provided. 'This is likely to result in substantial harm to the operations of the department as incorrect data is used for planning and budgeting and the effectiveness of oversight and monitoring are reduced as a result of unreliable reported performance information on the provision of primary healthcare services,' wrote the Auditor-General. Van den Heever says leadership and management within the health department need to be seriously questioned. Questions should be asked of why 'bad apples' are not being removed, why there are no consequences for conflicts of interests and collusions, and why webs of enablers within the department are not exposed for insulating wrongdoers, he says. Van den Heever says that over nine years of monitoring, the Gauteng Health Department's irregular and wasteful spending ranged between 3.6% and 6.6% of its total budget. In contrast, during the same period, the Western Cape's irregular spending ranged from 0% to just 0.1%. Lack of transparency The Gauteng health department's spike in security spending demands deeper investigation, says advocate Stephanie Fick. She is executive director for accountability and public governance at the Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse and serves on the Health Sector Anti-Corruption Forum. This forum was launched in 2019 as an initiative to combat corruption within the healthcare system. It falls under the Special Investigating Unit and brings together a range of stakeholders, including law enforcement agencies, government departments, regulators and the private sector. Fick says the health department's failure to provide easy access to information on tenders, contracts and contracted companies undermines transparency and accountability. She encourages more people to come forward with insider information. 'We want to see the details right down to line items and who signed off on things. We encourage people to use our protected whistle-blower platforms to share information,' Fick says. 'For civil society, there is a growing role to mount strategic challenges to things like this kind of excessive and irregular expenditure; to demand transparency and to expose people who are responsible. 'This must be done so ordinary people can better understand what's been happening with their tax money and so they choose more carefully when they go to the ballot box, starting with next year's municipal elections,' she says.
The Citizen
13-06-2025
- Health
- The Citizen
No hot water for patients in Pretoria hospitals amid icy winter conditions
No hot water for patients in Pretoria hospitals amid icy winter conditions Sick and vulnerable patients at three major Pretoria hospitals are being forced to endure freezing winter conditions without hot water as critical equipment failures and years of poor maintenance leave facilities struggling to meet basic care standards. According to the DA's Shadow Health MEC, Jack Bloom, this was confirmed by Health MEC Nomantu Nkomo-Ralehoko in a written reply to his questions in the Gauteng Legislature. 'Reasons for a lack of hot water include leaking steam pipes and broken boilers, compressors, and heat tanks.' He said the department says: 'The critical equipment such as boilers, chillers, heat pump, air conditioners etc. are old and were not serviced appropriately for a long time. The impact is that due to their heavy usage in winter, the department experiences a lot of breakdowns.' 'Patients in nine Gauteng public hospitals have suffered without hot water as the winter cold has bitten since the start of May this year.' • Bertha Gxowa Hospital, • Cullinan Care and Rehab, • Sterkfontein Hospital, • Edenvale Hospital, • Lenasia Hospital, • Kalafong Hospital, • Weskoppies Hospital, • Jubilee Hospital, • Tshwane Rehabilitation Care Hospital. 'I suspect they are underplaying the hot water problem as I have received complaints from patients at several other hospitals. 'It is inexcusable that sick people have to wash in cold water in winter. The department says R100 million is set aside to recapitalise hospital equipment. This is a long overdue investment, but needs to be spent properly, unlike failed projects in the past,' Bloom said. The Gauteng Department of Health has yet to confirm or respond to media inquiries. Also read: Fake news alert: No blackout planned for Pretoria today Do you have more information about the story? Please send us an email to bennittb@ or phone us on 083 625 4114. For free breaking and community news, visit Rekord's websites: Rekord East For more news and interesting articles, like Rekord on Facebook, follow us on Twitter or Instagram At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading! Stay in the know. Download the Caxton Local News Network App Stay in the know. Download the Caxton Local News Network App here
The Citizen
26-05-2025
- Health
- The Citizen
Hospital security bill soars to R2.5bn amid patient care crisis
The DA noted that PSIRA's annual rate increase stands at only 7.38%, far below the near six-fold rise in overall security spending. The Democratic Alliance (DA) has voiced concern over soaring security costs at Gauteng public hospitals, which have skyrocketed from R655 million in 2022 to R2.54 billion in 2025 — nearly quadrupling in just three years. According to DA Gauteng Shadow Health MEC Jack Bloom, the rising security expenditure is diverting much-needed funds from critical healthcare services. 'This squeezes out money needed to improve patient care,' said Bloom in a statement on Monday. Multi-million rand contracts under scrutiny Gauteng Health MEC Nomantu Nkomo-Ralehoko revealed in a written reply to the provincial legislature that the increase is due to 'additional points of service provision' and higher rates regulated by the Private Security Industry Regulatory Authority (PSIRA). However, Bloom questioned the justification, noting that PSIRA's annual rate increase stands at only 7.38%, far below the near six-fold rise in overall security spending. 'As a percentage of the total Gauteng health budget, security costs have gone up from 1.1% in 2022 to 3.8% of this year's allocation of R66 billion,' he pointed out. Security bills for major hospitals are among the highest. Chris Hani Baragwanath, Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg, and Bertha Gxowa hospitals are paying R77 million, R72 million, and R26 million respectively to private security firms each year. In response to Bloom's inquiry, the department stated: 'The security assessment report conducted justifies the additional increase in the number of guards, and it is in line with the PSIRA rates.' ALSO READ: Mpumalanga primary school pupils treated for food poisoning after eating oranges Guards unpaid despite soaring costs Despite these massive outlays, some security workers are not being paid on time. At Tembisa Hospital, guards have gone on a go-slow, protesting after not being paid for three months. At George Mukhari Hospital, Mafoko Security Patrollers recently lost a court case over failing to pay provident fund contributions. Similar allegations have surfaced at Bertha Gxowa Hospital, where workers claim deductions are not reaching the required funds. Although the department insists it uses 'a monthly performance monitoring tool to ensure that security workers are paid on time and according to legislation,' Bloom said, 'this does not appear to be effective.' ALSO READ: Hospital horror: Cops in frantic search for two premature babies snatched from incubators Calls for accountability Bloom suspects widespread corruption. 'Many security companies seem to be grossly over-charging while underpaying their workers,' he said. The DA has vowed to continue pushing the provincial health department to review the escalating costs. 'Hospital patients suffer because of a lack of budget to fix staff shortages, long queues, and broken equipment,' Bloom warned. The Citizen has contacted the Gauteng Department of Health for further comment but had not received a response at the time of publication. NOW READ: Suspect allegedly confesses to Tembisa Hospital fire
TimesLIVE
22-05-2025
- Health
- TimesLIVE
Hospital laundry backlog: Interim and long-term fixes being implemented, department says
The Gauteng health department says it is assessing its laundry equipment, to determine which machines need to be replaced and repaired, to ensure the supply of clean linen at hospitals. This as it acknowledged a 'frequent breakdown of laundry machinery'. This week, patients were given plastic sheeting to lie on and have had to bring their own blankets to the Bheki Mlangeni Hospital in Soweto, according to provincial legislature member Jack Bloom. Six months ago, large piles of laundry were seen at Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital. On Wednesday, the department said there was 'a backlog due to machinery breakdown challenges' at the Bheki Mlangeni hospital, which relies on laundry services from Bara. The provincial Dunswart Laundries in Boksburg was roped in to deal with the backlog. 'Additionally, the hospital management is exploring options to temporarily outsource laundry services to further address this issue,' the department said. MEC Nomantu Nkomo-Ralehoko said the province has received R100m from the national department for the 2025/26 financial year to support its recapitalisation programme which aims to refurbish and replace outdated critical equipment and machinery in hospitals. 'Out of this amount, R50m is specifically set aside to address laundry machinery challenges across hospitals in the province. 'As part of this initiative, an assessment of the equipment and machinery has been conducted to determine which machines require refurbishing and which ones need to be replaced. This evaluation will ensure that we address the needs of facilities more effectively.'
