The Freedom Front Plus (VF Plus) views the suspension of the Head of the Gauteng Health Department, Mr Arnold Moletana, as a step in the right direction for accountability.
The maladministration, fraud and corruption recently uncovered by the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) at Tembisa Hospital as well as the shocking murder of whistleblower Babita Deokaran, highlight the urgent need for thorough investigations and reforms in this Department.
In fact, maladministration is so pervasive at Tembisa Hospital that lawful conduct appears to be the exception rather than the rule. The SIU identified 207 service providers, of which 108 were referred to the Department for administrative and disciplinary action. It appears that payments amounting to a staggering R122 million were made to corrupt officials.
In addition, evidence seems to suggest that the Department Head accepted bribes. Therefore, Moletana’s suspension, pending an investigation, is justified.
The only way for South Africa to rid itself of the plague of maladministration and self-enrichment, at the expense of the public, is to ensure that holding officials personally accountable lies at the heart of sound governance and service delivery.
Proper governance, for and on behalf of the public, will only be possible once officials have to pay a personal price – when their own interests are at stake.
The Freedom Front Plus expects the same accountability to be enforced in every department across Gauteng.
Freedom Front Plus Election Performance: In the 2019 elections, the FF Plus increased its parliamentary representation.
Chicago Blackout
There was a German, an Italian and Van der Merwe on death row.The warden gave them a choice of three ways to die:
1. to be shot
2. to be hung
Bliss
Fun South African Fact: South African Dr. Christiaan Barnard performed the world’s first heart transplant on 3 December 1967 at Groote Schuur Hospital in Cape Town. The groundbreaking surgery was carried out on Louis Washkansky and Dr. Barnard was assisted by a large and exceptional team of surgeons, nurses and technicians. One of Dr. Barnard’s assistants was Hamilton Naki, a black laboratory assistant who had worked previously as a gardener and went on to work in the animal laboratory at the University of Cape Town. He had assisted Dr Barnard with research leading to the transplant. In the apartheid days, Naki had no access to higher education due to his race. Despite being unable to access formal training, he learned from and assisted university researchers and went on to do astonishing work.