Six days since SIU report, Hlongwa still in office

26 June 218

Madam Speaker, the release last week of the SIU report into corruption in the Gauteng Health Department has once again shone the spotlight on the terrible damage done by greed and corruption in this provincial government.

I commend Section 27, the Treatment Action Campaign and Corruption Watch for using the Promotion of Access to Information Act to make public this report which former President Jacob Zuma wanted to keep secret.

The report covers the period 2006 to 2009 when Honourable Member Brian Hlongwa was the MEC for Health.

It shows in great detail how “state capture” occurred when 3P, a private company, took over management functions within the Gauteng Department of Health and awarded fishy tenders worth more than R1.2 billion, with alleged kickbacks to Member Hlongwa.

This includes payments of money given to Member Hlongwa to help purchase his R7.2 million house in Bryanston, Johannesburg.

The Department has never recovered from this dark period which has led to the current public health crisis in Gauteng.

I have frequently raised this issue as it is truly shameful that the implicated politician still holds a senior position in this Legislature.

In other countries the merest hint of scandal leads to resignation, but here we have the same Jacob Zuma defense of delay and obfuscation despite heaps of damning evidence.

I have launched a Hlongwa Monitor to count the days until he is fired.

It is now SIX DAYS since the release of the SIU Report and he is still in office.

How many more days before he does the honourable thing and resigns or is fired by his party which seems acompletely unconcerned to be represented by someone with a huge corruption cloud over his head.

Issued by Jack Bloom, DA Gauteng Shadow MEC for Health, 26 June 2018