Health MEC fails to appear before committee

PARLIAMENT’S portfolio committee on health yesterday expressed its “disappointment” after KZN health MEC Nomagugu Simelane-Zulu failed to attend a Covid-19 update meeting.

“The provincial department (of health) was meant to give the committee the province’s response on Covid19. She came and tendered an apology because she had other commitments,” parliamentary media officer Yoliswa Landu said.

“The department still made a presentation, but what the committee wanted was the MEC to be part of the meeting, so when they posed questions, she would be able to respond,” Landu added.

The committee said earlier in the day, via an emailed statement, that Simelane-Zulu “knew about the meeting yet did not formally write to the committee to indicate that she would not be available”.

The matter would be reported to the Speaker of Parliament and house chairperson, said the committee.

Pressure is mounting on Simelane-Zulu and her department’s handling of the provincial Covid-19 outbreak

with the Public Protector also confirming yesterday that the MEC was being investigated for an alleged breach of the executive ethics code.

Spokesperson for the Office of the Public Protector, Oupa Segalwe, confirmed the probe, saying: “The public protector is looking into the complaint that the MEC breached the Executive Code of Ethics by allegedly refusing to release Covid-19 statistics to the public.”