NEHAWU Northern Cape Welcomes The Arrest Of Northern Cape Acting HOD of Health Dr Deon Thyse
Thursday March 11, 2021
The National Education, Health and Allied Workers’ Union (NEHAWU) in the Northern Cape welcomes the arrest of the Acting Head of Department (HOD) of Health in the Northern Cape, Dr Deon Thyse.
The Acting HOD is currently out on a bail of R30 000 for contravening the Public Finance Management Act (PFMA) pertaining lease agreements of a nursing homes amounting to R96 million in 2014. It is shocking that the Acting HOD continuously lied to NEHAWU that there is no money to permanently absorb Community Healthcare Workers, appoint non-clinical staff while he is being implicated in serious fraudulent activities involving huge amount of money.
There are other allegations that our members have reported to us, such as top managers getting paid 3 times the amount of their salaries. We have consistency called for an investigation on these allegations of officials inflating their salaries and we are indeed vindicated by the arrest of the Acting HOD. The arrest of the Acting HOD explains the reluctance of the department in investigating these allegations, however, our members have been targeted and charged with frivolous and trumped-up charges by the same department when raising these allegations of misconduct.
We demand the immediate suspension of the Acting HOD, the allegations levelled against him are serious and are gross in nature. He cannot continue to hold such an important task of running the department. We further demand that an investigation team be appointed from treasury to conduct a forensic investigation at the department of health with immediate effect. Corruption will not be tolerated by NEHAWU as it robs the poor and the working class of improved service delivery. Failure to adhere to this demand will lead us in mobilising our members for the withdrawal of our labour.
Lastly, we urge the Premier of the province to work extra hard in uprooting corrupt elements whenever they rear their ugly head in the provincial government.
Issued by NEHAWU Northern Cape Provincial Secretariat
Steffen Cornelius (Provincial Secretary) at 082 455 1792
Tebogo Mompati (Provincial Deputy Secretary) at 063 685 2461
Khaya Xaba (NEHAWU National Spokesperson) at 082 455 2500
email: khaya@nehawu.org.za