NEHAWU is extremely concerned by the astonishing and scandalous reports that some hospitals in Limpopo Province are experiencing food shortages because some service providers have not been paid. This follows startling revelations by the Joint Ministerial Task Team that there was an unauthorised expenditure of R2.7 billion and possible illegal payments of some service providers in the province. According to the Minister of Finance, Mr Pravin Gordhan, the team has discovered that some service providers were paid up to eight times a month while others were owed large sums of money.
This financial mismanagement has resulted in the crisis of food shortages in the health sector, where it is reported that some hospitals are struggling to feed their patients. Unfortunately this crisis will greatly affect the poor communities, who cannot provide food for their loved ones, and those who are on special diets because of their health conditions. Our union calls on the National Department of Health and Treasury to intervene before the collapse of the whole health sector due to inefficiencies by Limpopo provincial administration.
This justifies our apprehension that we constantly expressed in the past, that the Department of Health and Social Development was being mismanaged by the previous MEC for Health. We had hoped that last year’s provincial cabinet reshuffle was going to bring much needed changes and transparency in the department. Unfortunately this proves that nothing has changed and the situation has gotten worse.
The report of the Joint Ministerial Task Team is deeply disturbing and we expect law enforcement agencies to get to the bottom of the allegations that have been made and those responsible should be held accountable. Unfortunately all of these reckless activities are going to cost patients their lives because they cannot take medication on an empty stomach.
The union welcomes the recent decisive interventions announced by national government in dealing with maladministration in Limpopo. As a public service union, NEHAWU is particularly concerned about the fact that the Limpopo cash crisis nearly led to the non-payment of the workers’ salaries in December last year. Underlying the suspected corruption and maladministration in these provinces and indeed across the country is the enabling policy promoted by the national Treasury itself i.e. the public-private-partnerships (ppps), that have spawned a tenderpreneur industry.
We reiterate our call for an end to the ppps in line with the 2008 Alliance Summit and for the review of the current fiscal federalism in our intergovernmental system. We hope that these matters will be considered and addressed at the ANC’s National Policy Conference in 2012.
NEHAWU is calling on all its members in Limpopo to do everything in their power to help those who are in need of immediate care and assist in whatever way possible in response to the looming crisis. We must all be guided by the Batho Pele principles in performing our duties as workers and must not neglect the poor who will be left more vulnerable by this food shortage.
The union will do its utmost best to assist the national government to do things faster, better and differently and also to root out all retrogressive tendencies that derail service delivery in the province. We remain committed to serve the working class with dedication and integrity.
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