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I have written today to the Public Service Commission to urgently investigate the appointment of Ms Lerato Madyo as the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of the Gauteng Health Department.

This is because there are grounds to suspect that she was manipulated into her job to protect certain interests.

I have referred the PSC to investigations by News24 of emails and WhatsApp messages between Madyo and murdered whistle-blower Babita Deokaran. These show that Deokaran requested Madyo to stop payments by Tembisa Hospital to fishy companies, including three owned by ANC big wig Sello Sekhokho, but Madyo authorised them instead.

Furthermore, Deokaran requested a forensic audit of the payments, but Madyo reportedly lied to her that she had requested the Acting Head of Department to do this when she had not done so. It looks like she was covering up this scandal.

Another consideration is that PSC did an investigation of the appointment of the previous CFO Kabelo Lehloenya, and found that she was appointed irregularly and unlawfully. The PSC also requested the Hawks to institute a forensic investigation regarding alleged criminality in her appointment.

Ms Lehloenya resigned from her position and is facing charges of involvement in the PPE scandal.

According to written replies by Gauteng Health MEC Nomathemba Mokgethi to my questions in the Gauteng Legislature, Madyo was seconded from the Gauteng Department of Infrastructure Development to be the Acting CFO. She then applied for the permanent position and was appointed to it even though she did not score the highest marks. The highest scoring candidate was supposedly disqualified for not meeting the job requirements, and her appointment as the next highest scorer was done with the concurrence of the Premier’s Office.

I have a terrible feeling that history has repeated itself with another CFO embroiled in corruption allegations that show the deep rot remains in this department despite all promises to clean it up.

Why has the Gauteng Health Department not acted swiftly to suspend Madyo and properly investigate the Tembisa hospital payments?

A PSC investigation is needed to establish the truth about the CFO’s appointment and whose interests she may be protecting.

Issued by Jack Bloom MPL - DA Gauteng Shadow Health MEC