NEHAWU Eastern Cape Calls On The Premier To Relieve The MEC of Health of Her Duties
Saturday February 13, 2021
The National Education, Health and Allied Workers’ Union (NEHAWU) in the Eastern Cape calls on the Premier, Honourable Oscar Mabuyane, to relieve the MEC for Health, Mrs Sindiswa Gomba, of her duties after she was charged with fraud, money laundering, contravening of the Municipality Finance Management Act and corruption.
The charges dates back to 2013 during the preparations for the funeral of our Former President, Comrade Nelson Mandela, who was laid to rest on the 15th December 2013. The MEC and other accused appeared in the East London Magistrate Court yesterday and they are out on bail.
We note that the Premier says he takes these charges very serious, however, as NEHAWU we don’t think he takes them serious enough. We strongly believe that the MEC should be relieved of her duties with immediate effect. The people of the Eastern Cape cannot have an MEC who is facing such heavy charges while she is also expected to lead the provincial Department of Health especially at a time when we are faced with the COVID-19 pandemic which requires all hands on deck to decisively defeat. Even before facing these charges, the MEC was not really doing an exceptional job so we believe these charges will split her attention and this will further disadvantage our people who require medical attention and our members and workers who work in healthcare institutions.
NEHAWU has always prided itself for being an ardent advocate for clean governance, good and sound management and perfect financial management of public resources. We strongly believe that public funds must be spent in a prudent manner that will derive value for the public. Those in charge must be exemplary leaders whose sole aim is to prioritise service delivery and not line their own pockets. The MEC has proven not to be such a leader, she has lurched from one crises to the other, including the wasteful expenditure of buying of scooters to use as ambulances.
We call on the Premier to move with speed in effecting this change so that the department can continue to help the province navigate the effects of the coronavirus which has killed 11 100 people so far in the province. The Premier has an opportunity to demonstrate that misappropriation of public funds will not be tolerated and that those found to be on the wrong side of the law will not be treated with kids gloves. We view this as an opportunity to send a clear message that corruption is a cancer that eats away at service delivery and that it must be uprooted even if it is done by one of our own.
Issued by NEHAWU Eastern Cape Secretariat
NEHAWU Eastern Cape Provincial Secretary Miki Jaceni (Provincial Secretary) at 082 455 2745
miki@nehawu.org.za