Motsoaledi calls for probe into alleged NHI deals linked to Matlala - IOL
The Minister of Health is calling for urgent investigations following explosive new claims by Vusimuzi "Cat" Matlala linking underworld figures to government corruption.
The Sunday Tribune last week led with a story about claims contained in an affidavit prepared by the underworld figure, Vusimuzi Cat Matlala.
In the affidavit, the controversial businessman alleges that he was promised help in securing government buildings to position his company for lucrative contracts under the new National Health Insurance (NHI) scheme.
Matlala says political and police figures promised to help him secure a lease to operate a hospital on the South African Police Service’s Tshwane campus and acquire additional government buildings, giving his business a potential foothold in the government healthcare market. To secure such state buildings, however, Matlala had to pay certain sums of money to the people who would deliver NHI “contracts” to him.
In a statement this week, Health Minister Dr Aaron Motsoaledi emphatically denied that such an arrangement would be possible. He stated that the NHI was designed for other purposes and was not "for sale to the highest bidder".
"As the Department of Health and custodians of NHI, we were taken aback by such 'arrangements'." he said.
"We are responsible for introducing NHI to the public as a new policy for healthcare financing. Clearly, if it is true that such deals were promised to Matlala, the people who made the promises have embarrassingly flimsy and misleading information about NHI.
"NHI is not some lucrative business that is there for millionaires and other rich individuals to win contracts from. It is a healthcare financing system that is designed to be an equaliser between the rich and the poor. It is derived from the World Health Organization’s Universal Health Coverage, which was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly."
Motsoaledi said that to promise an underworld figure lucrative contracts from such a scheme is "alarming".
"If Matlala paid money in exchange for NHI 'contracts', does this not qualify as fraud? Is it not fraud when you promise somebody something that does not exist in exchange for money? Is it not like 'selling' the atmosphere (which you do not own and do not even control) to somebody?" the minister asked.
"We are still reeling from the devastation of what happened in Tembisa Hospital, which took the precious life of Babita Deokoran. In that saga, the name of Matlala is mentioned. Are we now expected to keep quiet when a 'deal' is made with such an individual about a policy proposal that falls squarely within our jurisdiction?"
Motsoaledi called for the Hawks, the Investigating Directorate Against Corruption and the Special Investigating Unit to investigate the matter.
"We feel that we are owed an explanation. How are the individuals who promised Matlala going to deliver (on) the promise to him? When we read the NHI Act, we cannot fathom how this is going to be done. We need answers," he said.
