The North West Department of Health has suspended four senior officials over allegations of tender irregularities.
Health MEC Madoda Sambatha said two of the officials are directors attached to the Infrastructure Development Technical Support chief directorate, including one director responsible for Infrastructure Planning and another responsible for Infrastructure Delivery.
The directors were suspended on 23 April 2020, due to allegations of irregular payments of departmental funds to service providers arising from a bid for additions and alterations to existing Mmabatho Nursing College, including all related site works.
The principal building agreement for construction works at Mmabatho Nursing College commenced on the 02 November 2015.
It is alleged that the officials within the Infrastructure Development and Technical Support chief directorate facilitated irregular insertion of the “contract price adjustment Provision”, which resulted in the contractor receiving undue enrichment in payments.
“The value estimated on this one amounts to R10 959 472 35, excluding VAT of adjustment/ escalation. This followed a preliminary investigation,” said the MEC at a media briefing on Wednesday.
The other two senior officials, including the department’s Chief Financial Officer (CFO) and a director responsible for Supply Chain Management (SCM) were also suspended on 8 May 2020, due to allegations of irregularities at SCM arising from a security tender.
“The appointment letter of the successful bidders allegedly contained the prices which materially varied from what those bidders had bid for thus inflating prices and causing the department serious financial loss. The value of the financial loss is not yet know, as investigations are to start after their suspension,” Sambatha said.
The suspensions are intended to allow the department to investigate the allegations, which are of a serious nature.
President Cyril Ramaphosa, accompanied by Deputy President David Mabuza and Cabinet Ministers and the President’s Coordinating Council (PCC) met on Friday, 28 February 2020.
The extended PCC meeting included premiers of the 9 provinces, mayors of 44 district and 8 metropolitan municipalities. It convened to assess progress on the District Development Model (DDM) implementation. It resolved that all spheres of government must work together for efficient service delivery at a local level.
Definition – joining the dots in districts for integration
DDM model explained SABC
The DDM approach aims to improve integrated planning across government with the creation and implementation of ‘One Plan’ per district or metro. It brings together all partners to stop dysfunctional silos and to make a joint plan across departments with relevant stakeholders. Local partners include business, civil society, faith based communities and traditional leaders in a compact for development.
Piloted in 3 district municipalities (OR Tambo, Waterberg and Ethekwini) the DDM represents a paradigm shift in government’s efforts to build a coherent and coordinated state.
More than R70 billion of public sector investments have been made in the in the three pilot sites since August 2019. A further 20 districts are to be included by the end of 2020 with all districts covered by 2021.
An analysis of the lessons learnt so far confirms the enormity of the socio-economic challenges faced by districts. It also assisted government to direct spending to the areas of greatest need in a more informed and integrated way. Transparency and accountability at a local government level is a much anticipated outcome.
The pilot of the DDM at the three sites assisted to uncover potential sectors for growth which can be tapped into to improve the living conditions of the most vulnerable. When the DDM is fully operational it will ensure greater inclusivity through gender budgeting.
The PCC has thoroughgoing discussions on the implementation of economic reforms to drive inclusive growth and job creation, infrastructure investment and development, efforts being made to bolster youth employment through the Presidential Youth Employment Intervention and as a progress report on the provision of water services and human settlements.
The President called the PCC an historical meeting of leaders from all spheres of government to support a “joined up approach” that when it comes to development no district gets left behind in development.
The President called on all social partners take the lessons learnt into account and use further impetus to the DDM vision. This vision of capable unitary developmental state with a strong neutral bureaucracy and solid societal relations.
In September 2018 the United Nations High-Level Meeting on NCDs (UN HLM NCDs) takes place. People around the world are joining together to say: “We have had #EnoughNCDs and action is needed. Now!”
The SANCDA joins the global campaign convened by NCD Alliance together with our global network of people and organizations. We demand that our government prioritize NCDs as they have promised to do since 2011. So we are calling for governments to act going into the UN HLM NCDs.
This is what we are asking for as South Africans:
1. Put people first – you and me who live every day with NCDs.
2. Boost NCD investment so that empty promises stop and there is NCDs action.
3. Step up action on childhood obesity but don’t forget to beat childhood malnutritionin all of its forms.
4. Adopt smart fiscal policies that promote health and then put some money into NCDs prevention and treatment.
5. Save lives through equitable access to NCDs treatment through universal health coverage (NHI).
6. Improve government accountability to the people for progress, results and resources.
Please join us! You can show your support for the cause by championing a leader or personality who will support the fight against NCDs. Please contact us with your ideas and suggestions. We would love to hear from you. requests. For further information please checkin the back with the SANCDA for more on the movement and campaign as it progresses.
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Premature death from NCDs continues to be one of the major development challenges in the 21st century. NCDs kill 15 million women and men between the ages of 30 and 70 each year, and leave no country untouched. This burden is rising disproportionately among low-income and lower-middle-income countries, where almost half of premature NCD deaths occur. Within countries, these deaths disproportionally affect the poorest and those furthest behind. The NCD epidemic is driven by poverty, globalization of marketing and trade of health-harming products, rapid urbanization, and population growth. This Progress Monitor is based on the latest data tracked against 10 progress indicators to chart progress in developing national responses. It describes achievements and challenges faced by all countries in fulfilling promises made since the first UN High-level Meeting on NCDs in 2011.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_btn title=”Download Now” color=”primary” align=”center” link=”url:https%3A%2F%2Fwww.sancda.org.za%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2017%2F10%2F9789241513029-eng-1.pdf|||”][/vc_column][/vc_row]
Over 200 civil society representatives from 6 contents adopted the Sharjah Declaration on NCDs at the first Global NCD Alliance forum. South Africa was represented Elize Joubert (CEO CANSA) and Vicki Pinkney-Atkinson. Click here to download the declaration.
The SA NCD Alliance committed to support the 2030 Agenda (code for Sustainable Development Goals) by:
Joining forces – working together;
Accelerating NCDs action by advocating for change;
Increasing accountability for NCDs by monitoring progress. (see NCDs Score Card.)
We call on the SA government and policy makers to:
Encourage high-level government authorities across all sectors to champion NCD prevention and control and integrate NCDs into national development plans and frameworks;
Accelerate the implementation of agreed plans, political commitments, targets and goals, and promote evidence-based, affordable and cost-effective, population-wide interventions;
Allocate adequate, sustained human and financial resources to NCD prevention and control;
Protect public health policies from interference by vested interests, particularly from the alcohol, tobacco and food and beverage industries, and from legal challenges under international trade and investment agreements;
Protect the fundamental human right to health and create environments that empower individuals, families and communities to make healthy choices and lead healthy lives;
Ensure all people living with NCDs have access to affordable, quality NCD services, medicines and technologies, across the entire continuum of care, including palliative care;
Engage civil society and people living with or affected by NCDs in policy development, implementation, coordination mechanisms and monitoring, and provide capacity-building to NCD alliances and networks, particularly in low- and middle-income countries;
Establish robust and transparent monitoring and evaluation systems in order to regularly report on NCD policy progress and health outcomes at national, regional and global level.
