Eastern Cape Health MEC, Sindiswa Gomba, has been fired by Premier
Lubabalo Oscar Mabuyane.
The announcement was made by the premier during a news conference
held earlier today (Thursday).
Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta) MEC,
Xolile Nqatha, will step in as acting MEC until a new Health MEC is appointed
in due course.
Gomba is one of those charged by the National Prosecuting
Authority (NPA) for fraud and corruption relating to funds set aside for the funeral
and memorial service of late former president Nelson Mandela in December 2013.
According to Mabuyane, he had taken the decision to relieve
Gomba of her duties to allow her time and space to attend to the case against
her. “Now that the charges are re-enrolled, all people accused will get an opportunity
to deal with charges that have been there for a long time. We are concerned
that this case has been there for more than seven years without progress to a
point where charges were provisionally withdrawn,” Mabuyane explained.
“I engaged Miss Gomba on the findings of the [Special
Investigations Unit] report (SIU) and in light of the charges she is facing
after the NPA re-enrolled the charges, I have taken a decision to relieve Miss
Sindiswa Goma of her duties of Executive Council for the Department of Health.
This decision is in the best interest of the MEC and the provincial government.
She will, however, remain on as MPL,” he said.
“I want to thank her for her service to the people of our
province. She led the department during the most difficult and trying time of
the COVID-19 pandemic. Under this difficult situation, MEC Gomba tried her level
best. She has worked very hard, knowing the problems of the Department of Health.
She was dealing with actual core, fundamental issues that have been really
causing havoc in the department, so to speak. It is unfortunate that something
of this nature happened,” Mabuyane said.
He added that former head of the provincial Department of Health,
Dr Thobile Mbengashe, will face disciplinary action for his alleged role in the
procurement of medical scooters. “I engaged him on the findings of the SIU
report and asked him to submit representations on the findings. With
disciplinary action he will be given an opportunity to present his case and answer
to the SIU regarding his actions and the procurement of the motorbikes by the
department. We will wait for the process to conclude,” Mabuyane explained.
“The decision that I’ve taken is that our government attends
to all allegations and that people implicated are held accountable for their
actions.”
