SIU probe shows how R2 billion was 'siphoned off' Tembisa Hospital

SYNDICATES involved in Tembisa Hospital corruption siphoned off more than R2 billion through fraudulent tenders and the circumvention of proper tender processes, says Special Investigating Unit (SIU) head Andy Mothibi.

- SIYABONGA SITHOLE

The unit released its interim report yesterday into corruption at the facility. It was triggered by slain whistleblower Babita Deokaran, who flagged irregular tenders at the hospital shortly before her assassination in 2021.

The senior official in the Gauteng Health Department's finance unit had flagged R850 million in suspicious payments out of Tembisa Hospital in the weeks preceding her assassination.

"This would not have been possible without the help of whistleblowers, including Babita Deokaran. We are on record to ensure measures are taken, and where there is a need, whistleblowers must be protected. The current legislature is narrow and must be reviewed. We must have a wider definition of whistleblowers, and we must take steps to protect whistleblowers," Mothibi said.