Lesufi Suspends Health Head as Tembisa Corruption Scandal Reaches the Top

The political temperature in Gauteng’s health sector has officially hit boiling point. Premier Panyaza Lesufi has suspended the province’s top health official, Lesiba Arnold Malotana, as pressure mounts over the spiralling Tembisa Hospital corruption saga that refuses to fade from public memory.

The move, announced on Tuesday, is being read not just as damage control, but as the strongest signal yet that the province is bracing for more explosive revelations.

New Interim Leadership to “Stabilise” Health Portfolio

To fill the leadership gap, Dr Darion Barclay from the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (CoGTA) has been appointed as acting head of Gauteng’s Health Department.

Lesufi’s office framed the reshuffle as both practical and principled.

“Dr Barclay’s appointment highlights the importance of prioritising seamless service delivery,” said provincial spokesperson Elijah Mhlanga.

The Premier’s team stressed that the suspension aligns with a broader promise to clean up governance and protect public funds, particularly in key sectors like healthcare, where failures quickly escalate into crises.

A Scandal That Started With a Murder

For many South Africans, the Tembisa story isn’t just about dodgy tenders, it’s about a woman who died trying to stop it.

In August 2021, senior health department official Babita Deokaran was assassinated outside her Johannesburg home. Before her death, she had flagged hundreds of suspicious payments at Tembisa Provincial Tertiary Hospital.

What investigators later uncovered confirmed her worst fears.

• Over R2 billion in irregular contracts

• Ghost suppliers and inflated invoices

• Absurd procurement items, from overpriced latex gloves to skinny jeans and armchairs

• Implication of top leadership, including former CEO Ashley Mthunzi and CFO Lerato Madyo

The SIU has since widened its probe, while public anger has grown over the slow pace of accountability.

Lesufi’s Accountability Push, Genuine Reform or Election Optics?

Lesufi has repeatedly promised to “clean house” in Gauteng’s public institutions. But critics argue that action has come too slowly since Deokaran’s death.

This week’s suspension appears timed to reset that perception.

Alongside the leadership change, Lesufi announced that performance agreements for all MECs will be made public this Thursday, a rare transparency move in provincial politics.

Insiders say the SIU is expected to brief the provincial executive before the end of the month on efforts to recover stolen funds and track down implicated officials.

Public Reaction: “Long Overdue”

On social media, reaction to the suspension was split between relief and scepticism.

Some users said Malotana’s removal was “the first real move in two years,” while others asked why no arrests have followed the SIU’s findings.

Community activists have also pointed out that Tembisa may just be “one node in a wider network of tender looting” across Gauteng’s health facilities.

Health workers unions and civil society organisations are calling for:

• Public naming of implicated officials

• Protection for future whistleblowers

• Criminal prosecutions, not just suspensions

What Comes Next?

The timing of the suspension hints at deeper developments behind the scenes. With the SIU still tracing the money, more senior heads could roll in the coming weeks.

The biggest unanswered questions remain:

• Will any senior officials be criminally charged?

• Are other hospitals in the province facing similar looting schemes?

• Can Gauteng rebuild trust in its health system before the 2026 elections?

For now, Lesufi has made his move. But South Africans, still haunted by Deokaran’s killing and failed past promises are watching closely to see whether this marks the beginning of real accountability or just another reshuffle to calm the outrage.

{Source: IOL}

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