The Democratic Nursing Organisation of South Africa (Denosa) in Gauteng says it will soon engage Premier David Makhura on its views related to the Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) procurement scandal.
Denosa, which is calling on Makhura to take special leave, held a special Provincial Executive Committee meeting after he fired Health MEC Bandile Masuku.
The dismissal of Masuku followed a preliminary Special Investigating Unit (SIU) probe that found that Masuku had not exercised due diligence.
However, Makhura says if the final SIU report clears Masuku, he might be reinstated.
Denosa provincial chairperson, Simphiwe Gada says, “The way forward on Premier [David Makhura] … we will write a letter to the Premier indicating that we seek an audience with him because we are not going to say these views in the media or in the public domain.”
“We are not afraid of him. The relationship we have with him is not personal. We are servants of Denosa, we are going to communicate the message of Denosa to him, we will write that letter. It will be sent to him to seek an audience with him to say that he must stop confusing us,” adds Gada.
The video below is the full Denosa media briefing:
On Sunday, the union announced that it wants Makhura to take special leave. The union says the Premier has a tendency of escaping accountability amid scandals rocking his administration.
It cited the Life Esidimeni tragedy as one such instance, saying “we think that he must go and rest for six weeks – or for the duration that the SIU investigation is happening.”
In the video below, Premier David Makhura announces Health MEC’s SIU report outcome:
Masuku denies involvement in COVID-19 PPE tender corruption
Meanwhile, Masuku has denied involvement in alleged COVID-19 PPEs tender irregularities.
He has refuted the allegations as unfounded saying the awarding of contracts within the department rests with the Supply Chain Management in the Finance department.
In July, Masuku said, if evidence of corruption is found at his department action will be taken and offenders prosecuted.
The MEC has also refuted any suggestion that COVID-19 procurement is being used as a means to raise funds ahead of African National Congress (ANC) conferences.
