MEC of Infrastructure Development in Gauteng Lebogang Maile estimated the repairs to Tambo Memorial Hospital to a total of R18 million after the Boksburg gas tanker explosion. But his counterpart at the Department of Health MEC Nomantu Nkomo-Ralehoko insists that a budget of R10 million was more than enough to repair damages caused by the explosion. Nkomo-Ralehoko  went on to say the looting of public funds in the name of repairing the hospital will not be tolerated.

AGREEING WITH DENOSA

Last week, the Democratic Nursing Organisation of South Africa (DENOSA) said they didn't think the repairs at the hospital would cost R18 million. They believed the department of Infrastructure Development in Gauteng wanted to use the tragedy to loot money and MEC Nkomo-Ralehoko agreed. "I don't agree that that damage will be sitting at R18 million. So, I felt that Denosa is correct. We must start with the bill of quantities so that we know the level of work that we must do, before we can even allocate the budget. So, as a financial person, I know that you don't thumb suck the amount." She added that she believed the repair work should not exceed R10 million."I'm saying let's not even move beyond R10 million when you're renovating any hospital in the province. Because we've done it in Mamelodi we renovated it with R9.5 million because any contractor that came there and was overcharging us, the CEO stood up and said ?this is not the amount that you should be charging us'".

DA RELIEVED

The DA's Jack Bloom has welcomed Nkomo-Ralehoko's decision to alter the repairs budget. "We saw this with greedy companies that profited from money earmarked for the Covid-19 epidemic, including R500 million fora lterations to the Anglo Ashanti Hospital on the Far West Rand, which is now abandoned. I will monitor the repair process to ensure decent contractors repair the Tambo Memorial Hospital in good time and within budget," said Bloom.He said the DA will continue to hold the Gauteng government accountable to ensure that corrupt politicians and their cronies do not fleece the people of Gauteng.