The MK party has demanded comprehensive investigations into alleged corruption within the national department of health, following the arrest of three senior officials by the Hawks. Director general Dr Sandile Buthelezi, deputy director general Dr Malixole Mahlathi, and chief financial officer Phineas Phaswa Mamogale were all taken into custody as part of an inquiry by the directorate for priority crime investigations.
The party maintains that the arrests confirm what it has long asserted — that entrenched corruption and poor governance have taken hold within the department. "The systemic rot that we have repeatedly warned against is now a reality," said national spokesperson Nhlamulo Ndhlela. "These arrests are long overdue, but they are only the tip of the iceberg." Investigators allegedly found that more than R1 million was paid to a service provider without proper approval during the 2023/2024 financial year, in breach of the Public Financial Management Act. The director general is also accused of having solicited a R500 000 bribe from a construction company linked to a hospital renovation tender.
"It is clear that corruption, fraud and administrative lawlessness have taken root in the department that is supposed to protect the health and lives of South Africans," Ndhlela stated, adding that a widespread "culture of impunity" reaches beyond national level into provincial health structures. The party also questioned the handling of contracts during the Covid-19 pandemic, noting that billions were spent with scant transparency. It highlighted previously raised concerns about irregular vaccine-related contract awards, including to companies that have since been liquidated.
The MKP further criticised the health minister, who reportedly stated publicly that departmental processes were "above suspicion". "Such complacency is unacceptable and further undermines the public's trust. If the minister really believes that good governance is in place, he must prove it through actual action — not simply through rhetoric," Ndhlela said.
Among the measures it plans to pursue, the party intends to request an expanded mandate for the special investigation unit to examine all procurement activities from 2020 onwards, particularly those related to the pandemic. It will also call on the public protector, auditor general, and national treasury to conduct parallel probes into financial irregularities and violations of the Public Financial Management Act. Additionally, the MKP will formally demand that the minister take disciplinary steps against all implicated officials, including suspension pending the outcome of investigations, and urge the chairperson of the portfolio committee on health to hold parliamentary oversight hearings.
"South Africans deserve accountability. When clinics are without essential medicines and hospitals are understaffed, mismanagement and corruption have a real human cost. The health and dignity of our people must not pay the price for administrative negligence and criminal self-enrichment," Ndhlela declared.
