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Gcaleka revealed that the public protector’s office received 1,602 complaints related to Covid-19, most of which were related to failures in the provision of services.
“Eight of the total are issues of good governance and are related to irregularities in acquisitions with financial implications for the public purse, estimated at R4bn.
“Most of the issues related to the provision of services regarding Covid-19 have to do with the special grant of social relief of distress of R350 per month. All of these investigations into service delivery and good governance are ongoing, ”Gcaleka said.
He said the public protector’s office had embarked on an investigation into the state of the country’s health system, as well as conditions in basic education.
“The investigation was precipitated by public outcry and media reports as a result of the pandemic.”
Gcaleka said the visits to hospitals and schools were aimed at establishing how they were dealing with the devastation caused by Covid-19 and whether they were delivering services effectively and efficiently.
He said they had so far visited facilities in the Eastern Cape, Gauteng, Limpopo and Mpumalanga.
Next week they will be in KwaZulu-Natal.
He said his office had consulted with stakeholders, including ministers of health and basic education, the South African Human Rights Commission, and the health compliance office regarding their findings and observations regarding the hospitals.
“Reports are being prepared for each province and the MECs of the provinces we have already visited have been requested or are being asked to comment on the draft reports. Once finalized, these reports will be shared with the health minister, the health MECs, the finance minister and the president, ”he said.
TimesLIVE
