A workers’ march organized by Cosatu and its affiliates in Tembisa on Tuesday was set against a backdrop of severe corruption allegations at the adjacent Tembisa Hospital, where the scale of looting has reportedly ballooned to a staggering R2 billion.
The protest, which called for decent jobs, took place directly outside the healthcare facility that has become synonymous with a deepening financial scandal. The Special Investigating Unit (SIU) announced last week that its probe into the hospital has revealed the massive figure, a significant increase from the R850 million initially exposed by the slain whistleblower, Babita Deokaran.
According to the SIU, three syndicates have been identified as operating within the hospital. These syndicates have been named. The investigative unit has not ruled out the existence of other syndicates that may be revealed as the probe continues. The SIU further indicated that the R2 billion figure is not final and could rise.
The impact of the alleged corruption is palpable within the hospital. Patients and staff members report a direct correlation between the siphoning of funds and the deteriorating state of services and infrastructure at the facility.
“I think it’s affecting everyone, all of us, the patients, the workers, the nurses, the doctors,” said one individual at the scene. “The services we’re getting is not that… it’s not great compared to other hospitals. Yeah, I can say everyone is affected.”
Health Minister Dr. Aaron Motsoaledi was cited for stating that the siphoning of billions from the hospital “would not have taken place if it had not been for some of the workers inside this hospital who enabled this corruption.”
A Cosatu spokesperson addressed the issue of union membership in the context of corruption, drawing a clear line between representation and culpability. “There is no membership of the unions… where membership is about a person who is corrupt will be defended by the federation or the union,” the spokesperson stated. “Every person must account for his duties.”
The spokesperson clarified that the union would defend members mistakenly alleged to be involved but would not protect anyone against tangible evidence of wrongdoing. “It’s a serious problem. It’s a cancer that we need to fight,” the spokesperson said, linking corruption directly to the degradation of public services.
“The question of people stealing from the public purse… it’s so sad because each time you steal from the public purse, you steal from the future of our children. You steal the health of those who are sick,” the spokesperson continued, noting that such theft leads to an inability to buy medicine, employ police, and support education.
As the march for jobs proceeded, the scene underscored a stark contradiction: the call for decent work and public services was happening at the very location where funds meant to provide those same services have allegedly been stolen on a monumental scale.
