Mpumalanga health under scrutiny after R2.1m paid to research unit with no output

The Mpumalanga department of health has come under scrutiny after disclosures showed it paid R2.1 million in salaries to its research unit in the 2025-2026 financial year despite the department conceding that no research projects or studies were conducted during that period.

Money paid, no reported studies

Responses to the provincial portfolio committee on health show the department has a staff research unit with an approved budget allocation of R2 692 000. Of that amount, R2 100 000 was allocated for salaries and R592 000 for goods and services.

The department itself conceded that no research project or studies were conducted in the 2025-2026 financial year.

Calls for investigation

Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse (Outa) called for an investigation into the payments and described the situation as wasteful. Outa CEO Wayne Duvenage is quoted saying:

“This is just another example of government departments employing fulltime staff and/or consultants to do work that never materialises. This is a gross waste of taxpayers’ money.”

Duvenage said the Public Service Commission (PSC) should investigate and produce a report to determine who should be held accountable.

Political response

The Democratic Alliance in Mpumalanga also urged an investigation. DA member Bosman Grobler told the provincial legislature the matter “is unacceptable, especially with outbreaks of the coronavirus, monkeypox, as well as the recent hantavirus.” Grobler said the department should be on top of research to ensure responsiveness to potential outbreaks.

Department rejects allegation

Department spokesperson Dumisane Malamule rejected the framing that R2.1 million was paid for research that never materialised, saying the claim was “misleading, selective and not supported by the full facts provided to the portfolio committee on health.”

Malamule said the R2.1 million is part of the department’s approved allocation for compensation of employees within the research unit and is not a payment to an external service provider. He confirmed the research unit comprises three permanent officials: a director, a deputy director and an administrative clerk, who occupy approved posts in the department.

The department also pointed to prior internal work it said had informed service delivery, citing an internal study in the 2024-25 financial year on the implementation of complaints, compliments and suggestions guidelines. The department said that study resulted in operational improvements, including training for doctors and nurses on the effective management of complaints, as well as improved quality improvement plans.

What happens next

Outa has called for the PSC to investigate and produce a report. Parties including the DA have said the matter should be probed to establish accountability.