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Gate 3 of the Tembisa Hospital in Johannesburg.
The Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse (OUTA) has declared the Tembisa Hospital in the east of Johannesburg as an “active crime scene.”
A handful of OUTA members demonstrated outside the hospital today.
This follows a report by the Special Investigating Unit (SIU), which revealed that R2 billion has been lost to tender irregularities and fraud at the health facility, with the possibility of the amount escalating as investigations continue.
OUTA has previously voiced its disappointment that the SIU took long to complete its interim report into the hospital’s corruption allegations.
Whistleblower Babita Deokaran was gunned down outside her house in the south of Johannesburg in 2021 after exposing approximately R850 million in procurement fraud at the health facility.
Two fire incidents have also taken place at the hospital in April this year.
Gauteng Health MEC Nomantu Nkomo-Ralehoko disclosed that repairs will amount to R14 million.
OUTA member Ali Gule says justice still needs to be served for Deokaran.
“Today, we’re here because we regard this hospital as an active crime scene. It must be declared an active crime scene, with all that has happened here we still fight for justice for Babita. Other than that, we’re happy that SIU has released a preliminary report. We’re anticipating the second one. We don’t know when, but there’s a lot that has happened at this hospital. We’ve seen the issue of the hospital been mentioned at Madlanga Commission and at (Parliament’s) Ad-Hoc. We appreciate those that has been arrested but we want to see the real prosecution,” says Gule.
