R2bn hospital heist: EFF says looters — not migrants — killing SA healthcare

EFF

Cape Town – The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) says the revelations about the R2 billion looted from Tembisa Hospital show that South Africa’s public health crisis is the result of corruption, not the presence of foreign nationals.

According to a Special Investigating Unit (SIU) interim report, investigators analysed 2 207 procurement bundles at Tembisa Provincial Tertiary Hospital and uncovered at least three major syndicates, along with several smaller groups, that worked with hospital staff and Gauteng health officials to rig tenders and siphon funds.

The interim report, released this week, shows that money meant for medicine, beds and equipment was diverted to front companies and ghost suppliers, while patients went without basic care.

The SIU stated that officials “abdicated their duties” and allowed irregular appointments and payments to be processed. Some of the funds were spent on luxury properties and cars, highlighting how syndicates enriched themselves while hospitals crumbled.

The findings echo concerns first raised by whistleblower Babita Deokaran, who flagged suspicious payments at Tembisa in 2021 before she was assassinated. Many of the same contracts she questioned appear in the SIU’s investigation.

EFF spokesperson Sinawo Thambo said the party rejects attempts to scapegoat migrants for the state of the health system. “Patients are dying in overcrowded and under-resourced hospitals not because of foreign nationals, but because the money meant to buy beds, medicines, and equipment is looted by politicians and their criminal partners,” he said, as reported by IOL.

Civil society organisations have echoed the same sentiment, warning that anti-immigrant protests misdirect public anger.

According to Daily Maverick, the scale of looting has raised fears that the proposed National Health Insurance (NHI) scheme could be captured by the same criminal networks if procurement loopholes remain.

The SIU confirmed that evidence has been handed over to the National Prosecuting Authority for possible prosecutions and that asset recovery processes are underway.

The unit emphasised that its work is not complete, saying this is only an interim report and further investigations will continue.

As stated by the SIU, the Tembisa scandal reveals “organised syndicates operating within public health procurement structures, enabled by officials who abdicated their responsibilities.”

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