Gauteng Health crisis deepens as workers march for performance bonuses

15 March 2018

The Gauteng Health Department is facing a new crisis as workers from five unions organize for a massive march tomorrow because of unpaid performance bonuses.

This follows a sit-in by organized labour at the MEC’s office on Monday and Tuesday this week demanding the payment of the incentive bonuses for 2016/17 and 2017/18.

Acting Head of Department Professor Mac Lukhele has explained the Department’s financial difficulties in a letter to Nehawu, Nupsaw, Hospersa, PSA and Denosa.

He notes that the Department moved R990 million from goods and services to Cost of Employment (CoE) during the 2017/18 financial year, and then used under-expended infrastructure funds for goods and services.

This is extremely bad budgeting practice which highlights the Department’s financial woes.

Capital expenditure should never be used to fund current expenditure, which is why there is now a freeze on new health building projects.

The mass march tomorrow will unfortunately disrupt services at many state hospitals.

Meanwhile, the illegal strike at mortuaries continues with bodies piling up and relatives traumatized by the delay in burying their loved ones.

It’s a testing time for the Department which needs to show strong leadership in stabilizing its finances and tackling the root causes of persistent poor management.

Issued by Jack Bloom, DA Gauteng Shadow Health MEC, 15 March 2018