Note to Editors: Please find a soundbite in English by Dr Jack Bloom MPL here.
The Democratic Alliance (DA) in Gauteng welcomes the firm deadlines for action in the Public Protector’s (PP) report on the appalling delays in repairing the fire-damaged sections of the Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Hospital.
I am not surprised by the finding that Gauteng’s Health and Infrastructure Development departments are guilty of maladministration and failing to meet their constitutional and statutory obligations by not completing the repairs timeously.
According to the report, only R324 million (49%) of the R667 million budgeted for repairs, planning, and maintenance was spent between 2021 and 2024. Costs have now ballooned, with the total amount to complete repairs escalating from R1.1 billion to R1.7 billion.
It is a sad story of gross incompetence while hospital patients have suffered immensely from disrupted services. The continuing shortage of parking is a major problem for sick and elderly patients as 700 parking bays in the damaged basement are still not accessible. Fire compliance measures are also outstanding.
Premier Panyaza Lesufi and the relevant Heads of Department have now been given 30 days to submit an action plan on the recommended remedial measures, which include accountability for management failures and lifestyle audits for key officials.
I suspect that massive corruption will be uncovered when the Auditor General is involved as part of the PP’s binding recommendations.
It is scandalous that this flagship hospital has not been fully repaired five years after the devastating fire in April 2021.
The DA will closely monitor the implantation of the PP’s recommendations to ensure that implicated officials are properly disciplined and there are no more delays in fixing the hospital.