The Northern Cape Department of Health is facing intense scrutiny and calls for a provincial takeover after the resignation of its Health MEC, Maruping Lekwene, was confirmed. The move comes amidst a deepening crisis, with two recent official reports exposing severe operational failures and financial mismanagement within the department.
Opposition parties in the province have explicitly demanded that the beleaguered department be placed under administration, arguing that the leadership vacuum and systemic failures necessitate direct intervention.
Lekwene’s departure concludes a period of intense speculation about his position. He leaves the department under a cloud of controversy, compounded by the damning findings of a Health Ombudsman report and an adverse audit from the Auditor-General.
The Health Ombudsman’s report focused on critical failures at the Northern Cape Mental Health Hospital and the Robert Mangaliso Sobukwe Hospital in Kimberley. The investigation found evidence of gross negligence, systemic mismanagement, and significant leadership failures. These shortcomings were directly linked to the preventable deaths of two psychiatric patients and caused severe complications for several others.
Simultaneously, the Auditor-General exposed significant financial irregularities within the department, further eroding confidence in its ability to manage public funds and deliver essential services.
In response to the resignation, Northern Cape Premier Dr. Zamani Saul has moved to fill the vacancy. He has appointed the current MEC for Agriculture and Land Reform, Mase Manopole, to serve as the acting Health MEC with immediate effect.
The opposition’s call for administration places immense pressure on Premier Saul’s office to not only stabilize the department’s leadership but also to address the profound systemic issues laid bare by the recent reports. The situation continues to develop as the province grapples with the fallout from the twin crises of patient care and financial governance.
