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By Nthabi Nhlapo
First published on News24
The R2-billion Tembisa Hospital fraud confirmed by the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) paints a grim picture of what our country has become. It’s a picture that News24 journalists, particularly Jeff Wicks, have been piecing together for years.
This is a victory for journalism and a sign that if even one person cares enough about the sanctity of life, it can change the world, one country at a time. It is also a testament to the power of whistleblowing, though incredibly regrettable that Babita Deokoran is not here to witness the power of her courage and refusal to turn a blind eye.
On the other hand, the picture that has emerged is grim. The SIU interim report reveals how substantial amounts of money were diverted from the hospital through a complex web of syndicates. It is unlikely that investigators have managed to track down every rand and cent that was looted. In addition, out of the hundreds of public hospitals in the country, and with SIU confirmation of the rot in the Gauteng health department, one wonders if the Tembisa Hospital scandal is nothing more than the tip of the iceberg.
The SIU’s report is shocking. However, we need to backtrack and remember the real issue. This level of fraud and corruption is disturbing, but what is worse is its ripple effect.
It points not only to how greed can lead to the most brazen forms of looting, but also to a blatant disregard for human life, a complete breakdown of morality, and a lack of empathy. That R2-billion is not just a number. It is an amount of money that directly speaks to how many lives could have been saved had proper procedures been followed.
It is unfortunate that the true effects cannot be quantified, but it is not an exaggeration to say many lives may have been saved had this looting not been allowed. The sick and vulnerable paid the highest price for this looting.
Unbearable working conditions
It is no secret that many South Africans are impoverished, and rely heavily on government facilities for their health: giving birth, taking HIV treatment, and even for life-saving operations. However, the looting denied them the dignity of access to healthcare. There are numerous accounts about how patients at Tembisa Hospital are treated and how dilapidated the facilities are.
Earlier this year, it was reported that the hospital was operating with less than half the required workforce, as employees were resigning due to unbearable working conditions.
In addition, the hospital had been operating without a CEO for years after the tender scandal was exposed, leaving workers without direction.
The hospital is chronically understaffed and lacks the necessary resources. There have also been reports of bed shortages, which forced some patients to be discharged long before they were ready to go home, even while still gravely ill. This has affected the most vulnerable people in the community, including the severely sick and the elderly.
Regrettably, it is now apparent that the issue was never the shortage of funds, but rather a large number of people who valued their lives and luxurious lifestyles over the lives of South Africans.
The SIU reports that none of the money siphoned from the hospital was used to purchase any equipment or medications for the facility. Instead, the money went straight from the hospital into the hands of the syndicate members, who used it to buy high-value assets for themselves. While many have described this as looting, it is blatant theft.
More than that, it is a crime against humanity that has directly caused South Africans to suffer as they are denied the health care they could have received.
Silence from our leaders
What is also incredibly worrying about the Tembisa scandal is President Cyril Ramaphosa’s silence while the citizens of his country are under siege.
In any country, when it is exposed that citizens’ lives are endangered, particularly due to corruption, one would expect the leader to be enraged. In this case, it is even worse, as one of the beneficiaries of the Tembisa looting is said to be a nephew of the president from a previous marriage.
While the president has denied knowing him, it should have been infuriating to him that someone linked to him has now put citizens’ lives at risk and damaged the president’s reputation through involvement in unscrupulous illegal activities. Yet the president’s silence is deafening. Why? It begs the question: are South Africans on their own?
One can only hope that as investigations reveal just how much money was stolen, we remember that outside the monetary value of this corruption, the real victims are South Africans, not just any South Africans, but the most vulnerable, who should have been protected and were instead left exposed.
Anyone who is not utterly enraged and furious at what has happened at Tembisa Hospital cannot claim to care about South Africans.
Nthabi Nhlapo is a freelance journalist and former News24 lifestyle editor.
