News24 | R1.2bn tender corruption: Health minister vows to act on damning Auditor-General findings

Health Minister Joe Phaahla, left, together with his spokesperson, Doctor Tshwale, briefed the media on the contentious R1.2 billion security contract before the courts.

Dismissing claims he is embroiled in hiding R1.2 billion in tender corruption, Health Minister Joe Phaahla has vowed to investigate whether the Auditor-General’s (AG) recommendations following findings of gross mismanagement were implemented.

The findings Phaahla promised to “follow up” on include that among the 22 companies that received the September 2019 three-year contract to guard the North West health department’s facilities and offices, were disqualified companies in the initial tender adjudication that were added by pen during the evaluation phase, and deserving bidders removed.

In a report dated September 2020 and prepared for Jeanette Hunter, the national health department’s deputy director-general for primary healthcare, the AG’s office found the department did not “ensure the procurement of goods and services comply with the PFMA [Public Finance Management Act] in terms of economic use of resources”.

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