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NEWS
Former Gauteng health MEC Bandile Masuku hopes to live another day after indicating that he will go to court to appeal the provisional findings of the Special Investigation Unit (SIU) on him. Now he’s also armed with a report compiled by forensic investigator Paul O’Sullivan.
On Friday, Gauteng Prime Minister David Makhura announced that the SIU had discovered that Masuku failed to perform his duties in accordance with the Constitution and the Public Finance Management Act.
The SIU discovered that Masuku knew of the department’s irregular procurement processes.
His newly appointed head of supply chain, Thandy Pino, had informed the former head of department, Professor Mkhululi Lukhele, that then-CFO Kabelo Lehloenya had been purchasing personal protective equipment without complying with relevant laws.
This information was duly transferred to Masuku’s office.
Read: Gauteng Prime Minister Makhura ‘fires’ Bandile Masuku from Health MEC for PPE corruption
Masuku criticized the SIU, claiming that its report “makes incorrect and non-factual conclusions about my role as executive authority.”
Masuku accused the SIU of ignoring all but one of the affidavits, and failing to reference in its report the evidence that he and his office had presented.
He said the SIU had used “innuendo in a way that gives the impression that they are engaged in political discourse, rather than a search for truth and facts,” and that the unit had not correctly interpreted the law, blaming it for your decisions. it had nothing to do with him.
After citing the reasons for firing Masuku on Friday, Makhura said he could reappoint him if he is cleared of corruption allegations in the final report. He added that he would not appoint another permanent health MEC until the SIU investigation is complete.
While the SIU was conducting its report, Masuku hired his own investigation team to provide an independent forensic report on the corruption in his office.
There is no evidence that Dr. Masuku interfered with any personal protective equipment procurement process.
Paul O’Sullivan
O’Sullivan & Associates’ forensic report, dated October 8, conflicted with the SIU report in finding that there was no evidence linking Masuku to any interference in the procurement of healthcare equipment.
“There is no evidence that Dr. Masuku has interfered with any personal protective equipment procurement process. Their stated motivation for participating was in handover, rather than procurement, and it was solely to ensure that the department did not run out of essential personal protective equipment, thus endangering the lives of medical staff or patients. read in the report.
O’Sullivan said it cannot be denied that Masuku’s wife, Loyiso, and presidential spokeswoman Khusela Diko, whose husband, Thandisizwe, received contracts for personal protective equipment from the Gauteng health department, were old friends.
“However, no negative conclusion can be drawn from this as the Masukus had no idea that Diko, whom they have only known since 2016, was bidding for the PPE supply chain. If a negative conclusion is reached regarding the Diko-Masuku friendship, it should be against Diko, who appears to have been unreceptive to the idea that he was in conflict to do business with the Gauteng health department as a result of his marriage to an old friend of Mrs. and Dr. Masuku.
“Ms Diko would also have been wise to alert her friend that her husband was involved in providing protective equipment [the Gauteng department],” he said.
We understand that the prime minister has the right to act in his capacity, but Masuku was an ANC deployment and we deserved to be consulted.
Member of the provincial executive committee
O’Sullivan said there was also no evidence to suggest that the Masukus knew that Diko was engaging with the health department to supply personal protective equipment by May 24.
Meanwhile, Masuku’s removal was criticized by some members of the provincial executive committee who were not aware of the decision.
According to one member, the matter was supposed to be discussed over the weekend.
“The plan was to discuss the SIU findings at our next meeting, so we were surprised to hear the prime minister announce Bandile’s fate before then. We understand that the prime minister has the right to act in his capacity, but Masuku was an ANC deployment and we deserved to be consulted. Tomorrow we will let out our frustrations, ”said the member.
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