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President Ramaphosa said that what he found “most disturbing” was “the deliberate intent to commit fraud” at a time when the country was struggling to acquire emergency PPE to protect people.
President Cyril Ramaphosa addressed the nation on February 1, 2021, regarding the government’s latest efforts to combat the COVID-19 pandemic. Image: GCIS.
JOHANNESBURG – President Cyril Ramaphosa said the country had become too used to hearing stories about corruption and admitted that nothing could have prepared the country for the lengths some have gone to steal.
In his weekly bulletin, the president reflected on the report of the Special Investigation Unit (SIU) on the acquisition of emergency personal protective equipment (PPE) during the pandemic.
READ: SIU says officials implicated in PPE corruption will be punished
He acknowledged that the details of the report were disturbing, but also says they were encouraging because they showed that wrongdoing was being discovered.
President Ramaphosa said that what he found “most disturbing” was “the deliberate intent to commit fraud” at a time when the country was struggling to acquire emergency PPE to protect people.
PPE providers used different front companies to obtain multiple contracts from the Health Department, while prices were inflated, in some cases up to 400%.
Ramaphosa said that all criminals involved in the corruption of the EPP would be dealt with harshly and appropriately.
The state is trying to recover the money and some specific cases have been referred for processing.
Ramaphosa has recognized that hard lessons have been learned throughout this process.
He said that regulatory, legislative and procedural loopholes must be closed to ensure that no one can exploit the system in the future.
LOOK: SIU Boss: PPE Tender Scandal is Unprecedented
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