Hospital in jobs-for-sale scandal

Acting chief executive, HR staff implicated

DOZENS of employees have been implicated in a cash-for-jobs scandal at Soweto’s Bheki Mlangeni District Hospital.

This follows disciplinary actions against them by the Gauteng Department of Health.

These were for 111 cases of jobsfor-cash, irregular appointments, nepotism, performance of remunerative work outside public service without prior authorisation, gross negligence and putting the employer into disrepute.

DA Gauteng health spokesperson Jack Bloom said Health MEC Gwen Ramokgopa had revealed in her oral reply to his questions in the legislature that “all but eight of the 111 cases had been finalised, resulting in various periods of suspension for 98 employees, one demotion, some dismissals and a resignation”.

However, hospital spokesperson Jerry Mosasane said it was only 52 misconduct cases out of the 111 employees who were positively identified to have bought jobs, and in sworn affidavits they implicated several senior employees.

“The 52 employees were also charged with misconduct relating to the irregular appointments, meaning that the procedure and policy were not adhered to during the recruitment process. The implicated number of employees in selling of jobs were 11, who were positively identified.”

He said “employees who bought jobs wrote sworn statements with the Hawks”. Cases dealt with were from January 2016 to August 2018.

“Two employees were dismissed for selling jobs, whereas five employees implicated in job selling were charged with misconduct and resigned on the face of disciplinary action. Only three employees resigned during the investigation phase, and one resigned owing to mental illness immediately after the resumption of the investigation,” Mosasane said.

He added that the 11 employees included a deputy director nursing services (who was an acting chief executive); panel members (who were line managers, including a senior manager who was a quality assurance manager); and HR personnel.

The DA’s Jack Bloom said he was concerned that the vast majority of those who irregularly got those jobs were still working at the hospital, which has a reputation for poor service. |