A comprehensive timeline on Tembisa Hospital corruption scandal
Tembisa Hospital in Gauteng. Photo Credit- TMPH/ Facebook
The Tembisa Hospital corruption scandal, one of South Africa’s most egregious cases of public sector graft, revolves around the systematic looting of over R2 billion in funds intended for healthcare services at the Gauteng provincial facility. Centered on fraudulent procurement processes, the scandal first gained national attention through the assassination of whistleblower Babita Deokaran, who flagged irregular tenders worth R850 million just weeks before her death.
Subsequent investigations by the Special Investigating Unit (SIU), Hawks, and South African Revenue Service (SARS) have uncovered three major syndicates involving hospital executives, officials, and service providers using shell companies, kickbacks, and money laundering to siphon resources. The fallout has included suspensions, arrests, and disciplinary actions, but critics argue systemic failures persist, exacerbating service delivery crises like staffing shortages and infrastructure decay at the under-resourced hospital.
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June-August 2020
Early signs of procurement irregularities emerge as shell companies linked to key figures, such as Stefan Govindraju’s Fuligenix, secure contracts for medical supplies like forceps at Tembisa Hospital. These deals, part of a broader pattern targeting Gauteng health facilities, lay the groundwork for the R450 million extracted through 56 shell entities over two years, as later revealed by investigations.
April-July 2021
Babita Deokaran, Gauteng Health Department’s chief financial officer, uncovers suspicious payments totaling R850 million, noting that 63% of high-value purchase orders (R400,000-R500,000) are tied to Tembisa, far exceeding norms at other provincial hospitals. Her August 4 analysis exposes tender fraud, procurement weaknesses, and collusion between officials and service providers.
August 23, 2021
Deokaran is assassinated in a drive-by shooting outside her Johannesburg home, days after flagging the irregularities. The murder, later linked to efforts to silence her, catapults the scandal into the spotlight, highlighting whistleblower vulnerabilities and prompting public outrage over corruption’s human cost.
September 2022
In response to Deokaran’s report, Gauteng Premier David Makhura signs a secondment agreement with the SIU to probe supply chain maladministration at Tembisa Hospital. This formalizes the forensic investigation, focusing on the R850 million in flagged transactions and broader graft networks.
August 2023
President Cyril Ramaphosa issues Proclamation No. 136, expanding the SIU’s mandate under Government Notice No. 48217 to investigate corruption, fraud, and maladministration across Gauteng Department of Health procurement at Tembisa. The SIU identifies initial undue benefits and recommends freezing pensions for fleeing officials.
August 10, 2023
Acting on preliminary SIU findings, Gauteng Health suspends and disciplines five Tembisa Hospital employees for procurement violations. The SIU welcomes the actions but pushes for a full proclamation to pursue civil recoveries and refer criminal evidence to the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA).
August 28, 2024
The SIU reports taxpayer losses escalating to R3 billion, a 250% surge from Deokaran’s initial R850 million figure, exposing a complex extraction scheme reliant on crooked officials awarding thousands of inflated contracts. Disciplinary measures are instituted against implicated staff, with warnings of similar networks in other hospitals.
July 1, 2025
Concerns mount over ongoing Gauteng Health procurements from scandal-linked firms, including Sello Sekhokho’s Nokokhokho Medical Supplies, despite Hawks and SIU probes. Sekhokho, tied to R2.3 billion in fraud, secures contracts for basics like toilet paper after a brief 2023 suspension, prompting Democratic Alliance (DA) calls for accountability.
July 2, 2025
SARS charges Tembisa “syndicate kingpin” Stefan Govindraju with criminal tax offenses, targeting his web of 56 shell companies that netted R450 million in dodgy tenders. The case, stemming from Deokaran’s 2021 findings, underscores inter-agency efforts to dismantle financial trails.
August 2, 2025
Hawks access incriminating messages from Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala’s confiscated phone, a figure Deokaran had flagged for tender scams. The evidence bolsters murder and corruption probes, revealing coordinated efforts to exploit hospital vulnerabilities.
September 29, 2025
SIU head Andy Mothibi releases the interim report, detailing three syndicates led by figures like Hangwani Maumela and former CEO Dr. Ashley Mthunzi, who looted R2 billion through irregular tenders, fronting, and R122 million in corrupt payments to officials. The report identifies 207 service providers, refers 108 for action, and exposes luxurious assets bought with stolen funds. Gauteng Health MEC Nomantu Nkomo-Ralehoko notes most implicated officials resigned, with only 11 facing hearings.
September 30, 2025
Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi hails the SIU findings as part of an anti-corruption drive, vowing probes into other hospitals. Treatment Action Campaign demands timelines for recommendations, decrying resource diversion from patients amid patterns of lower-level procurement damage.
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Ramaphosa admits to meeting accused Tembisa corruption figure Maumela
October 4, 2025
MK Party demands arrests of Maumela and Matlala following SIU revelations. Community voices highlight ongoing suffering, including the six-month closure of the hospital’s emergency unit after an April fire, linking mismanagement to graft.
October 13 and 14, 2025
Ramaphosa urges law enforcement to fast-track probes, emphasizing his 2023 proclamation’s role in exposing the scandal and calling for accountability of all implicated parties. Again, Gauteng Health head Lesiba Arnold Malotana is suspended amid SIU evidence of systemic looting, becoming the first high-level casualty. The probe continues, with civil claims and NPA referrals pending, as the scandal’s full R2-3 billion impact underscores failures in procurement oversight.
