Corrupt officials in Gauteng’s Department of Health leave without consequences

Officials under investigation in Gauteng’s Department of Health have been able to leave without consequence, including keeping their pension funds.

In the 2025 financial year, the department had nine reported cases of financial misconduct, resulting in nearly R20 million in irregular spending.

While nine cases may seem small, 74 public officials were implicated in the allegations of financial misconduct.

In the past three years, Gauteng’s Health Department has not dismissed any employee for financial misconduct, despite 20 officials facing these allegations.

Instead, all 20 employees left the department before any consequence management could take place.

13 officials resigned, while 7 retired before any decisions could be made regarding the allegations against them.

In addition to the lack of consequence management, the department did not attempt to freeze or withhold pension benefits.

This is due to the department failing to secure court orders and acknowledgements of debt, along with not initiating civil recovery proceedings in time.

In addition to the number of public officials who left the department before they could be dismissed, 14 employees are currently on final warning for financial misconduct.

ActionSA health committee member, Emma More, called the failure to implement any consequences “an expensive, state-funded protection racket for looters.”

She said her party would be escalating the issue of officials under investigation still receiving their pension benefits to the Public Protector (PP).

The party will submit a request for an investigation into Gauteng’s Health Department for its failure to protect state funds.

In addition to a lack of consequences for financial mismanagement, the department failed to report healthcare workers who faced disciplinary action.

In the 2025 financial year, 10 healthcare workers within the department were disciplined for medical negligence.

None of these employees was reported to the Health Professionals Council of South Africa (HPCSA) or the South African Nursing Council (SANC).

This was despite four workers leaving the department after facing disciplinary action – two resigned, and two were dismissed.

Without being reported to the relevant councils, these healthcare workers will be able to work in other departments or private hospitals without consequence.

“The department has allowed potentially dangerous or incompetent clinicians to quietly slip back into the healthcare ecosystem, posing an active threat to patient safety elsewhere,” More said.

Suspended officials and ghost employees

The recent issues plaguing Gauteng’s Health Department have added to a growing list of concerns about its financial mismanagement.

In May 2026, it was discovered that the department was paying salaries to at least 24 employees who did not exist.

These “ghost employees” were receiving fully paid, fraudulent salaries, costing the department roughly R11.5 million.

“It is completely unacceptable that over R11.5 million meant for critical healthcare services, medical supplies, and life-saving interventions has been lost to fraudulent salary payments,” More said.

The ghost employees were discovered during the department’s employee verification process, but only after millions had already been lost.

The health department has also been paying full salaries to suspended employees, leading to additional unnecessary losses.

These suspended employees include a deputy director, who has received roughly 2.5 million from the department during his 2-year suspension.

In May, five employees were placed on precautionary suspension by the Department of Health, with salaries totalling nearly R5 million.

More said the amount paid to suspended employees is unacceptable, given the severe staffing shortages and deteriorating infrastructure in Gauteng’s hospitals and clinics.

“The fact that a single Deputy Director can collect over R2.5 million while our provincial clinics and hospitals face severe staffing and resource shortages is an absolute disgrace,” she said.

“The duration of these suspensions and the salaries paid out for no work rendered represent a gross abuse of public funds.”