Public Works Dept to investigate R800m hospital oxygen plant tender
This comes after the Daily Maverick’s investigative unit blew the lid on the dodgy dealings of the Independent Development Trust (IDT) which handled the tender on behalf of the Health Department.
FILE: Minister of Public Works and Infrastructure, Dean Macpherson. Picture: GCIS
CAPE TOWN - An R800 million hospital oxygen plant tender is to be investigated by the Public Works Department.
This comes after the Daily Maverick’s investigative unit blew the lid on the dodgy dealings of the Independent Development Trust (IDT) - which handled the tender on behalf of the Health Department.
The IDT is a State-owned entity set up to manage the implementation and delivery of critically needed social infrastructure on behalf of the government.
Public Works Minister Dean Macpherson said the IDT can’t investigate itself, and it’s not been forthcoming in sharing documents to get to the bottom of the corruption allegations.
Since the dodgy oxygen plant tender has been exposed, the Health Department has indicated it plans to terminate its relationship with the IDT.
Daily Maverick’s investigation has revealed that two out of three companies responsible for providing oxygen to the country’s hospitals don’t have South African Products Regulatory Authority Registration, and the other potentially submitted fraudulent documentation.
Macpherson said the IDT’s board of trustees is not currently quorate with only seven out of 12 members in place, one short of a quorum.
“This is why I will be appointing an independent firm to investigate the alleged corporate governance failures that have led to this breakdown in trust.”
Macpherson said his interactions with the IDT over the last two months lead him to believe there are serious governance issues compounded by the fact that it’s not been able to produce financial statements for the past year.