Johannesburg: The Special Investigating Unit (SIU) has welcomed the outcomes of a disciplinary inquiry initiated against nine officials from the Gauteng Department of Health and the Department of Infrastructure Development. The officials faced charges relating to alleged irregularities in awarding contracts for refurbishing the Anglo Ashanti Hospital in 2022.

According to South African Government News Agency, following the SIU’s consequence management recommendations, the Office of the Premier took disciplinary action against the implicated officials employed by the Gauteng Department of Health (GDoH) and the Gauteng Department of Infrastructure Development (GDID). The SIU’s investigation uncovered evidence of financial misconduct involving several individuals from GDoH and GDID.

The Gauteng Government acted on the SIU’s recommendations and charged the officials involved. The outcome of the disciplinary proceedings resulted in several dismissals and warnings. The Head of Infrastructure Development at GDoH, the Acting Head of Department at GDID, and others were dismissed from their positions. Additionally, some officials received final written warnings, and one official’s contract ended during the hearing, while another was acquitted.

The evidence gathered by the SIU indicates that around 19 March 2020, the AngloGold Ashanti Hospital refurbishment project began under the GDID on behalf of the GDoH. However, during this process, no supply chain management policies or procedures were followed when procuring service providers and contractors for the refurbishment. Furthermore, the GDoH was misled into believing that only minor renovations were needed at the hospital.

This oversight is a contravention of the Public Finance Management Act and National Treasury’s regulations, causing the GDoH to incur unnecessary expenses for goods and services supplied. The SIU was mandated through Proclamation No. R. 23 of 2020 to investigate the affairs of all State institutions regarding procurement or contracting for goods, works, and services during or in respect of the National State of Disaster by or on behalf of State institutions.

“The disciplinary actions show that state institutions are acting on the results of the SIU investigation and implementing the consequences to hold officials implicated to account, recover assets and financial losses incurred by these institutions, and prevent further losses,” said Special Investigating Unit spokesperson Kaizer Kganyago. “We urge all state institutions to take decisive action to clean up our government and state entities from the corruption that has plagued them,” Kganyago added.