Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi has again ducked the DA’s call to remove Gauteng Health MEC Nomantu Nkomo-Ralehoko and Department Head Lesiba Malotana following two adverse court judgements on their failure to treat cancer patients.
Responding today to my questions for oral reply at a Gauteng Legislature sitting, he said he would await the outcome of a mediation between the department and the cancer interest NGOs who took it to court.
I asked for the department’s legal costs in this matter, and why he has not stopped the department appealing against the High Court’s ruling on 27 March 2025 that their negligence was unlawful and unconstitutional.
Lesufi said he had asked for the costs calculation to be done, which would then be provided to me. He said he did not want to waste money on court cases that should rather be used to provide hospital treatment.
This is not good enough. He needs to be decisive in stopping the department’s legal warfare against the Cancer Alliance, Section27 and Treatment Action Campaign who are defending the rights of cancer patients.
The DA condemns the department’s appeal this week against the second court ruling on 20 August that the department’s inaction is causing “irreversible and permanent harm” to cancer patients.
We will continue to push for the removal of the Health MEC and Head of Department who preside over a failing department plagued by scandals and financial mismanagement that includes the non-spending of R250 million budgeted for cancer treatment.
The DA proposes that Gauteng follow the successful model of the DA-run Western Cape Health Department which gets clean audits and spends money effectively to provide decent healthcare for state patients.