Limpopo’s Health Department is embroiled in allegations of tender irregularities and fraud in the procurement of coal for some hospitals that don’t have boilers.
According to the whistleblower, Conty Lebepe Foundation, the department has awarded multi-million rand tenders to supply coal to 14 hospitals, some of which don’t have boilers.
The foundation’s chairperson, Conty Lebepe, says the bogus tender contracts have resulted in the loss of millions of rand in taxpayers’ money.
Lebepe says they have written to law enforcement agencies and the Office of the President to intervene.
Lebepe says, “We managed to write a letter to law enforcement agencies to ensure that they conduct thorough investigations on these coal tenders. We are tired, as the Conty Foundation, of corruption that is happening within our spheres of government. We need to make sure that we root out this kind of corruption and ensure that people receive decent service delivery without any corrupt activities.”
VIDEO: Leaked documents show 14 Limpopo hospitals without coal boilers were issued with coal tenders
Limpopo’s health department spokesperson, Neil Shikwambana, says the MEC’s office has been made aware of the matter, and it is being investigated.
“There were service providers who were awarded tenders for supplying coal in our hospitals. They were given letters to show that they were being awarded. We then got notified that among those service providers, there were companies that were awarded to hospitals that don’t have any boilers. So, we have, through the office of the MEC, instructed the HOD to immediately look into the issue. The HOD then wrote various people in the executive as a form of starting an investigation.” he said.
