The Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse (OUTA) says it’s disappointing that it took so long for the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) to complete its interim report into the Tembisa Hospital corruption scandal.

The SIU report reveals that R2 billion has been lost to tender irregularities and fraud at the hospital, with the possibility that the amount could escalate as investigations continue.

Four years ago, whistleblower Babita Deokaran was gunned down outside her house after exposing approximately R850 million in procurement fraud at the facility.

OUTA Chief Executive Officer, Wayne Duvenage says the fact that the full report will only be concluded in two years’ time is disheartening.

“I just came out of a business environment. You discover this stuff, and within a month, you have a hearing, and within a few days, the people are dismissed and charged, and then you follow up with the investigating officers. You help build the cases, and you get them into court and you get them into jail. This should take place in a few months.

“Here we are four years later. It’s mind-boggling, but what we do want to see is who those people are higher up the chain. Are they politically connected? Are they going to be protected, and what is actually going to happen to them? This is just not good enough. It is just amazing how long it takes. We need to see a lot of people behind bars and in orange overalls as a result,” Duvenage adds.

SIU Report | OUTA CEO reacts to findings on Tembisa Hospital investigations

SIU releases interim report on Tembisa Hospital investigation: