The Democratic Alliance (DA) in Gauteng says it's "dismayed" by the delay in the presidential proclamation needed to expand the probe into the Tembisa Hospital payments scandal, exposed by slain Gauteng health official and whistleblower, Babita Deokaran.

In a statement on Tuesday, the party's health spokesperson in Gauteng, Jack Bloom, said the party would pressure President Cyril Ramaphosa to expedite a broad investigation of the province's hospital contracts. 

In December last year, a preliminary Special Investigating Unit (SIU) report found that networks of shell corporations had banked more than R1-billion in dubious payments from the impoverished hospital. These syndicates and those behind them were first exposed by News24 in a series titled Silenced. 

The SIU has asked Ramaphosa to authorise a broad-scale investigation through a presidential proclamation.

However, Bloom said, "The delay in expanding the probe fuels suspicions this is because politically protected people benefit from the contracts."

"This includes Hangwani Morgan Maumela, President Cyril Ramaphosa's nephew from his first marriage. Companies linked to him got R356-million from Tembisa Hospital in the last three years, as well as R22-million from Mamelodi Hospital and R2.4-million from other hospitals.

"Furthermore, the three companies owned by ANC bigwig Sello Sekhokho got 225 contracts worth R84-million in the last three years from other Gauteng hospitals. This was in addition to R14.5-million from 55 Tembisa Hospital contracts.

"This shows that the fishy contracts were also at other hospitals, so the presidential proclamation should cover this as well. I suspect there are high-level officials at Gauteng health's head office who collude in these hospital payment scams. They need to be exposed and prosecuted," Bloom added.

In November last year, Ramaphosa denied knowing Maumela.

Responding to DA leader John Steenhuisen, he said: "You keep saying, my nephew. I don't even know this gentleman. So, let's not even get there. I don’t know him."

In response to questions by News24 late last year, attorney Nabeela Moola, who represents the Maumela family, said: "We do not wish to compromise the integrity of any investigations that may be under way in relation to our client, nor do we intend to litigate by way of media."

Sekhokho previously said the claims were "rubbish" and "nonsense".