The Minister of Health, Dr Joe Phaahla strongly rejects the allegations made in the News24 online publication in regard to him covering up alleged corruption in the North-West Provincial Department of Health.
He considers the allegations scurrilous, defamatory and devoid of any truth, as the purported investigation was compiled way before he could be appointed Minister of Health on 05 August 2021. As such Minister has no knowledge of such a report and the happenings with regard to how the referred security tender was processed towards the appointment of the preferred bidder.
It is wholly disingenuous for any person, including the said official to attempt to link Minister to these allegations as they have no basis whatsoever.
The referred investigation report was never presented to the Minister when he took over the leadership of the Department, and still he could not have acted over something that he was not made aware of.
Minister did not respond to the allegations as requested by the journalist as he was still inquiring internally about the existence of such referred report which couldn’t be traced until recently.
The report was finally traced and was for the attention of the Director-General, as all the administrative matters like this one, fall within the scope of the Accounting Officer. For the record, the matter referred in the article has since been dealt with by the North- West Provincial Department in accordance with the Court order, which reviewed and declared the awarding of the referred contract to be unlawful. The Provincial Department has since assumed full responsibility over its programmes and activities after the termination of the Section 100 administration.
On the matter of suspension of the official (Adv TM Ngake), in the Department, it should be borne in mind that in terms of the Senior Management Handbook, the responsibility to discipline employees in a government department lies with the Director General who is the Accounting Officer. The Minister of Health therefore, cannot suspend or take disciplinary action against an employee.
Thus, the Department categorically dismisses the allegation that Adv Ngake has been suspended by the Minister of Health or even that his precautionary suspension has anything to do with a report that he may have authored.
Media enquiries:
Foster Mohale
Cell: 072 432 3792
E-mail: Foster.mohale@health.gov.za
Doctor Tshwale
Cell: 063 657 8487
E-mail: Doctor.Tshwale@health.gov.za
