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ActionSA is deeply appalled, though regrettably not surprised, by the blatant failure of consequence management and the systemic protection of corrupt and negligent officials within the Gauteng Department of Health.

In a shocking written legislature reply from the Health and Wellness MEC, Faith Mazibuko, dated 30 June 2026, it has been laid bare that the department is actively letting both medically negligent staff and corrupt syndicates off the hook at the expense of patient safety and public funds.

The Medical Negligence Cover-Up

The MEC’s response confirms that out of 10 healthcare professionals disciplined for medical negligence including two who resigned in 2024/25 and two who were dismissed in 2025/26 not a single one was reported to the Health Professions Council of South Africa or the South African Nursing Council.

The Department’s excuse that they "only consider involvement as and when instructed by relevant bodies" once an employee leaves is an absolute abdication of statutory duty. By failing to flag these individuals, the department has allowed potentially dangerous or incompetent clinicians to quietly slip back into the healthcare ecosystem, posing an active threat to patient safety elsewhere. R19.9 million looted, zero dismissals, and unprotected state funds

Even more damning is the department’s handled response to financial misconduct:

• Massive Syndicates: While only 9 cases were reported, a staggering 74 officials were implicated, leading to an irregular expenditure total of R19,912,780.53.
• Pittance Recovered: Out of nearly R20 million lost, a measly R385,760.66 has been identified as "recoverable."
• Golden Handshakes: Over a three-year period, zero officials were dismissed for financial misconduct. Instead, 20 officials facing these serious allegations were permitted to resign (13) or retire (7) seamlessly.
• Pensions Left Untouched: The MEC admitted that no steps were taken to freeze or withhold the pension benefits of these 20 fleeing officials because the department failed to secure court orders, acknowledgments of debt, or initiate civil recovery proceedings in time.

To add insult to injury, 14 officials who were given mere "final written warnings" for financial misconduct remain actively employed by the department

This is an expensive, state-funded protection racket for looters. The department effectively watched millions walk out the door, sat on its hands while implicated officials packed their bags, and left the taxpayers of Gauteng to absorb a R19.5 million shortfall.

ActionSA’s Immediate Line of Action

ActionSA refuses to allow this catastrophic failure of governance to slide under the radar. We will be taking immediate, decisive steps to force accountability on the department:

1. Direct Reporting to Professional Councils: ActionSA will bypass the department and write directly to the HPCSA and SANC to officially report the details of the disciplined clinicians, demanding that their professional licenses be investigated and audited.
2. Escalation to the Public Protector: We are preparing a formal submission to the Public Protector to investigate the department’s failure to implement consequence management and protect state assets by failing to freeze the pensions of officials accused of financial misconduct.

The people of Gauteng deserve a public healthcare system that prioritises human life and fiscal integrity, not a department that functions as a sanctuary for incompetence and financial syndicates. Where the executive fails to protect the public, ActionSA will step in and lead the fight for accountability.

Press Statement by: Emma More - MPL ActionSA Member of the Health Committee