Izindaba

E Cape’s corruption-busting DG finally ousted

Dr Siva Pillay, the IT-savvy, corruption- committee and former deputy director-general Withdrawn resignation suddenly busting Bay doctor and in Premier Noxolo Kieviet’s office. Counting revived millionaire businessman, has been edged MEC Gqobana, this puts two teachers at the Pillay’s contract as operational health chief out as Superintendent-General of the helm of the provincial health department. was due to expire on 31 January this year. controversy-riddled Eastern Cape Health Pillay’s posting was directly influenced However, it was suddenly terminated halfway Department, after a long-standing feud by national health minister Dr Aaron through December 2012, citing a resignation with his Health MEC, Sicelo Gqobana. Motsoaledi. Since his 2009 appointment he he submitted in June 2012 and which Eastern has sacked 1 284 departmental staff, for Cape Premier Noxolo Kieviet persuaded him offences ranging from corruption to non- to withdraw after national intervention.[1] performance and incapacity – outstripping any operational health chief in the country. He boasts that he saved R1.4 billion in ‘I’ve re-applied for the job duplicate and/or corrupt payments; only because I believe I used identity numbers and plumbed the can add value. If I really department’s IT procurement and salary wanted to resign why would system to construct star-burst charts of top I re-apply?’ he asked, officials using multiple service provider adding that he stayed on companies run by relatives or friends; fired the entire regional leadership of the until 22 December last year, ambulance service for flying private patients, ‘hoping to help - but no one at a cost to taxpayers of R25 million; and gave me the time of day.’ exposed an internal scam involving gas cylinder supplies to hospitals, reaching an out-of-court settlement of some R40 This abortive resignation followed a million. His is the only department in chaotic period during which 4 000 Eastern the Eastern Cape to have implemented Cape healthcare workers, including 67 approved reversals of approximately 1 000 doctors, went unpaid for nearly 5 months, irregular promotions, amounting to R80 with Pillay taking the heat after an internal Dr Siva Pillay has been ousted as Superintendent million per annum in the health department political campaign robbed him of the human General of the Eastern Cape Health Department. alone, a saving of some R400 million over resources and several other core operational 5 years. Among several other scams, he functions. Only the intervention of ANC His (acting) replacement is Mahlubandile and a dedicated fraud-busting team also Secretary-General Gwede Mantashe and Qwase, a teacher, former MEC for Education, uncovered a multi-million rand state drug- , on the eve of his 2-week former chair of the provincial health portfolio depot wholesaling network. resignation deadline, prevented Pillay leaving.

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Well before that, from November 2011, team (known as MAWG), bragged that At the height of his tenure, Pillay survived Pillay had lost control of the air and land it would cut fraud and wastage by up a night-time murder attempt by a pistol- ambulance rescue services to the transport to 80%. However, many of its members wielding motorcyclist near the entrance department, while the human resources were discouraged by the on-going political to Mdantsane township, which left bullet operational functions were moved to the in-fighting, which they felt white-anted its holes in his vehicle,[2] as well as a dusk provincial treasury. The Premier’s office state-of-the-art anti-corruption and service confrontation with a side-arm-carrying set up a provincial Health Infrastructure delivery initiatives. According to Izindaba man in the deserted health department car Management Committee, usurping his sources, the current controversy is being park after work in Bhisho, during which infrastructure leadership. He ran the discussed at the highest levels of the ANC the exit was blocked by a BMW.[3] Prior department without deputy director generals and Motsoaledi is demanding answers as to these incidents, he and his wife were for clinical services and human resources or to why the dispute resolution mechanism threatened face-to-face and telephonically a chief financial officer, and later his supply appears to have failed so spectacularly. by relatives of sacked senior officials, one chain management function was taken away. Some of Pillay’s biggest clashes with the telling Pillay: ‘Don’t forget this is Bhisho; Meanwhile, his budget allocation showed ‘union-friendly’ Gqobana centred on tender some of what you sow, you shall reap. The negative growth. procedures, as well as Pillay’s attempts to pit we’re digging for you is getting deeper rationalise a hugely unwieldy and inefficient and deeper and when we bury you, no-one [3] His is the only department service delivery platform in order to match will ever get you out.’ scarce human resources and achieve cost The SAMJ has e-mailed repeated, detailed in the Eastern Cape to have efficiencies. Insiders at Bhisho spoke of Pillay questions to top Eastern Cape government implemented approved once marching into Gqobana’s boardroom officials (and referred to the Health MEC’s reversals of approximately where a prospective IT supplier was making office), and followed up with telephone 1 000 irregular promotions, a presentation for a province-wide ‘virtual calls and SMSes. However, after 3 weeks, amounting to (just in health) provider network’ (VPN) tender, linking a no answer has been received. Izindaba R80 million per annum, a wide sprawl of healthcare facilities. ‘Pillay suggested that a response by the Health saving of some R400 million demanded to know what was going on MEC would be inappropriate (except on the over five years. because the tender closing date had already allegation of tender interference), given his expired’, resulting in a major face-down with feud with Pillay, and that Premier Kieviet his political chief in front of an embarrassed should respond instead, but this was simply ‘Nail E-Cape corruption or NHI presenter, the source said. ignored. fails’ – Section 27 Another, more recent clash centred on This was described at the time by Mark Gqobana’s reinstatement of some staff whom Heywood, director of Section 27 (an NGO Pillay had sacked for not being registered His abortive June 2012 which includes the Treatment Action with the Health Professions Council of resignation followed a chaotic Campaign), as ‘legally impermissible, (HPCSA). Pillay apparently period during which 4 000 let alone morally outrageous in a health uncovered more than 600 employees who Eastern Cape healthcare context’. Heywood said the Eastern Cape were not registered with the Pharmacy workers, including 67 doctors, could ‘wave goodbye’ to a National Health Council, Nursing Council or Medical and went unpaid for nearly 5 Insurance (NHI) system should the failure Dental Professions Board, which enabled months, with Pillay taking to address systems as critical as human immediate dismissal. resources, supply chain management and the heat after an internal endemic corruption continue. ‘I’ll continue doing all I can’ – Pillay political campaign robbed Pillay commented at the time, ‘It’s a recipe Pillay has since applied for a district him of the human resources for failure to tell me to fix it.’ An internal specialist post (and re-applied alongside and several other core task team consisting of the Premier, Pillay’s other contenders for his old job). He told operational functions. department, MEC Gqobana and Provincial Izindaba, ‘I left parliament as an MP in Treasury was hastily set up mid-year to December 2009 because I thought I co-ordinate and monitor all planning. The could make a difference. In spite of all I An excerpt from Izindaba’s e-mail premier agreed to ‘reign in’ the feuding encountered I stuck it out because I really to Bhisho reads: ‘Collectively these Pillay and Gqobana should they deviate believed I was making that difference. As a moves give rise to serious questions as from agreed-upon goals and strategies. health activist you do not want to abandon to their motivation, (given for example, This ‘paper-agreement’ lasted until Pillay’s ship, but certain circumstances forced me [Pillay’s] previous firing of the regional edging-out in mid-December. to resign in June when I hit the wall. When air ambulance service chiefs for abusing So unprecedented were Pillay’s that resignation was not accepted, I devoted the service with private patients to the corruption-busting initiatives that myself to changing the service, turning up tune of R25 million). Dr Pillay was also chose to pilot a hi-tech multi- and fighting strong, but my contract was intimately involved in the Multi-Agency- agency national programme for proper not renewed. I’ve re-applied for the job only Work-Group for proper procurement and procurement and monitoring from because I believe I can add value. If I really monitoring (and corruption busting) and his office. Consisting of the Hawks, the wanted to resign, why would I re-apply?’ He has two publicly documented attempts on Asset Forfeiture Unit, National Treasury, added that he stayed on until 22 December his life. The removal of an SG appropriately the SA Revenue Service and the Special last year, ‘hoping to help – but no one gave clinically qualified to understand and Investigations Unit, the multi-agency task me the time of day’. run a provincial health department

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(plus his reported achievements) and his Bhisho’s last word on the matter (an e-mail Chris Bateman replacement with a teacher (albeit acting of 24 Februay, 09h57), reproduced verbatim [email protected] and a local government veteran) also here, was: ‘Dear Mr Bateman, this mater [sic] 1. Bateman C. Pretoria intervention saves E-Cape corruption- buster. S Afr Med J 2012:102:591-592. requires some comment from yourselves. can actually be death (sic) with by the Office 2. Bateman C. Port Elizabeth’s tertiary care reaches crisis point. S Afr Med J 2012;102(9):720-722. Without a considered response from your of the MEC. It has been forwarded to them 3. Bateman C. Corruption busting a real health threat. S Afr Med office, these facts, when taken together, for further handling – Manelisi Wolela, GM J 2011;101:360-363. imply that something is seriously wrong Provincial Communication System.’ Eight with the state of healthcare government in working days and an SMS reminder later, S Afr Med J 2013;103(4):215-217. the Eastern Cape.’ there was still no reply. DOI: 10.7196/6862

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