Ex-hospital chief paid R1m for overtime
THE former chief executive of Dora Nginza Hospital received more than R1-million for overtime she never worked – and has not paid back any of this money.
Dr Ntombi Qangule was paid the overtime money while working in different positions in the Eastern Cape Department of Health between 2008 and 2015.
However, she was not entitled to overtime during this period as her positions were all managerial.
Provincial health spokesman Sizwe Kupelo admitted this week that a lack of proper financial controls had been to blame.
Qangule qualified for overtime when she worked as a clinical doctor in Port Elizabeth, but the payments were not stopped when she moved to a managerial position.
The provincial legislature’s health portfolio committee has now asked the department to provide it with a report before June 19 showing that it has taken action against Qangule to recover the debt.
While Qangule was at the helm of Dora Nginza Hospital, it suffered crippling staff, training and equipment shortages due to “budget constraints”.
She was eventually placed on special leave in 2015 over other problems, not the overtime payments, following staff protests.
She was then moved to a senior post in Bhisho.
According to health portfolio committee minutes, concerns were raised over the department’s “resistance” to recover the money from Qangule and the lack of consequence management against officials who approved the overtime payments.
The irregular payments were highlighted in separate reports in 2016-17, by the Public Service Commission and Integrated Forensic Accounting Services.
In both reports, investigators pointed out that there were several violations of policy and procedure specifically in the administration of employee benefits, resulting in gross violations of, among others, the Public Finance Management Act.
Kupelo said that, in all cases, the findings pointed at the human resources department, where there had been a lack of controls.
“Reckless decisions were made in awarding higher salaries and benefits that were not due to employees,” he said.
Disciplinary charges had been taken against a senior health department employee, but she resigned in the middle of the disciplinary process.
The Public Service Commission said in its report that Qangule should pay back the money.
Kupelo said that Qangule, who still works for the department as the director of Hospital Services in Bhisho, had acknowledged the debt and had made an arrangement to pay back the money.
The DA’s Celeste Barker said Qangule should also face consequences for receiving the money.
“We are appalled by the years of financial mismanagement in the department that has enabled this overpayment,” she said.
“It is a gross insult to the people of the Eastern Cape that public funds have been so poorly handled.”
Qangule did not respond to a request for comment.
She told the portfolio committee she would pay the money back when she retired – but this was rejected.
In the interview with the committee, she said she knew about the payments and had asked the payroll department to put a stop to them in 2014.