MPLs insist doctor pays back R1m

Seven years of illicit overtime pay still not reclaimed

PAY back the money! This is the order the Bhisho portfolio committee on health has issued to Dr Ntombi Qangule, who received more than R1-million in overtime allowances that she did not qualify for.

And by close of business on June 19 the Eastern Cape department of health must submit proof to the portfolio committee that there is an immediately enforceable payment arrangement to recoup the funds it paid to Qangule, who is the director of tertiary and regional hospitals.

The former clinical doctor in Port Elizabeth has been coining it in overtime, although she ceased to be eligible for such payments when she accepted the management position in Bhisho.

From the time of her appointment in Bhisho in February 2008 until 2015, when the Public Service Commission (PSC) intervened, Qangule received overtime pay every month while working the usual 8am-4pm shift.

In an interview, Qangule said she had made an arrangement “to pay the money when I retire”, which the committee has rejected outright.

The committee has told the department to ensure Qangule starts paying back her debt now, as any government official would be required to do.

Qangule said she had never been opposed to repaying the money, hence she still worked at the department.

She admitted she had been “overpaid” for a period spanning seven years but added she had no idea that it was taxpayers’ money.

“I think it was an error by the people of human resources, who did not do the correct adjustments to my salary because I was no longer working in a hospital as I was in the head office,” said Qangule.

“The issue was brought to my attention in 2014 and then I asked payroll to stop the payments and tell me how much was the amount.”

To this day, not a cent has been deducted as repayment from Qangule’s bank account.

The portfolio committee was particularly upset about the department’s heel-dragging attitude towards claiming back the taxpayers’ money, and MPLs suspect that the department has employed a “protectionist approach” to shield Qangule from paying back the money.

“The department continues to resist initiating debt recovery measures against Dr Qangule, who owes the department over R1-million for undue allowances she received over a number of years in favour of raising the debt against her pension payout at retirement, resignation or natural attrition,” fumed the portfolio committee in the report that was adopted by the legislature.

Department spokesman Sizwe Kupelo said Qangule was one of many health officials who received money not due to them.

“In all cases, our findings pointed to the former DDG [Karen Campbell] for human resources and corporate services’ failure to put controls in place and adhere to policy, and to reckless decisions made in awarding higher salaries and benefits that were undue,” said Kupelo.

“For these, the former DDG was formally charged with misconduct in terms of the applicable disciplinary code and procedure.

“However, she resigned in the middle of the disciplinary process.”