ACTis has raised seven flags for the GDoH.
Ongoing corruption, poor oversight and improper appointments have seemingly created a culture at the GDoH where wrongdoing goes unpunished, and a climate of fear stops people from reporting wrongdoing. This has damaged the organisation’s integrity and left it vulnerable to corruption and state capture.
Investigations have revealed that politically connected people and companies benefit from inflated contracts and use intimidation to stop others from challenging corruption.
The assassination of whistleblower Babita Deokaran and media scrutiny of corruption networks at Tembisa Hospital have made the public doubt GDoH’s commitment to accountability. Ongoing governance failures and reputational damage have made it harder to attract and retain skilled healthcare workers and managers. The institution has been weakened and relies on temporary or acting leaders.
Chronic financial mismanagement and high irregular spending have taken resources away from patient care. This has led to longer backlogs and harmed the Department’s ability to deliver quality health care and meet health care demands in Gauteng. At the same time, those involved in corruption continue to benefit.