The Democratic Alliance (DA) has intensified its demands for the resignation of Gauteng Health MEC Nomantu Nkomo-Ralehoko and the department head, Lesiba Malotana, following alarming revelations regarding an outstanding debt of R8 billion for the current financial year. This staggering amount represents a hectic burden on the province’s healthcare system as the DA posits that a significant portion of the budget is being diverted to settle last year’s liabilities, further crippling service delivery in health facilities.
The urgency of the situation is underscored by the Auditor-General’s latest report, which again flagged the Gauteng Health Department for financial non-compliance, indicating a systemic failure across critical audit areas. The report has become an annual ritual, with the DA’s Gauteng Shadow MEC for Health, Jack Bloom, lamenting, “Every year the auditor general comes out with a scathing report on the Gauteng Health Department. For many years now, she’s been saying that there are absolutely no consequences for officials who haven’t done their job.”
According to Bloom, the lack of accountability from those managing the department means the same officials continue to oversee an environment rife with mismanagement and fiscal irresponsibility. He stated, “The MEC and the head of department need to be removed. Because they’re the ones in charge of this department for quite a long time, and it just seems to get worse and worse.”
The current financial predicament is particularly disheartening for Gauteng residents relying on public health services. As the department grapples with its R8 billion debt—which is deemed a “first charge” against the R67 billion budget for the current fiscal year—the reality is a crippling freeze on staff recruitment and equipment purchasing. The ripple effect has resulted in hundreds of unpaid contractors, some of whom are withholding critical medical supplies, exacerbating the situation further.
Adding fuel to the fire is the fact that despite several heads of departments being reassigned under Premier Panyaza Lesufi’s administration for failing lifestyle audits and performance, Malotana remains in his position, ostensibly shielded from consequences despite facing serious allegations including a multimillion-bribe investigation by the Special Investigating Unit (SIU).
Moreover, the DA’s Cancer Scandal Tracker highlights an additional concern: it has been 164 days since the Gauteng High Court ruled that the department’s failure to provide adequate cancer treatment contravened both constitutional and legal parameters, yet there has been no dismissive action against the Health MEC or her department head.