The North West Department of Health has refuted claims by the Health and Allied Workers Indaba Trade Union (HAITU) that it underspent on its 2022/23 budget by R200.6 million.
According to HAITU, the province claimed its underspending was due to, “delays in submission of invoices by service providers and late delivery of medical equipment”.
The department spokesperson Tebogo Lekgethwane has however dismissed claims by the union.
“We just want to put it on record that the department is disputing those figures.
“We are confident of this because we have an annual report of that same year that we have presented at the Legislature and is approved in terms of our financial statements and that report indicates an R4.6 million under expenditure,” said Lekgethwane.
According to Lekgethwane, the Provincial Treasury assisted and approved their request to devolve those amounts to the subsequent financial year.
The department dismissed calls by the union for the MEC to be dismissed.
“On the contrary, the department can report only a R4,7 million underspending which was on Conditional Grant.
In the light of the facts above, the Department views the call for MEC Sambatha to be fired as baseless,” added Lekgethwane.
HAITU released a statement calling for the removal of all nine Heath MECs for the alleged underspending of their budgets.
The union alleges that Gauteng was the worst performer, underspent by R2.7 billion, Western Cape R180 million, Northern Cape R141 million, Limpopo R103 million, Free State R85 million, Eastern Cape R62.2 million, Mpumalanga R25.3 million and North West R200.6 million.
The union said the department’s excuses reflect an uncaring health ministry that has no regard for the suffering of patients and workers.
