The Democratic Alliance (DA) on Thursday led a demonstration outside the office of Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi, to hand over a memorandum that calls for a return of looted money to the hospital, as well as arrests of those implicated in the scandal.

In September, the Special Investigating Unit released a report on the Tembisa Hospital investigation, in which it revealed that there had been devastating plunder of the public purse, uncovering three coordinated syndicates responsible for the looting of over R2-billion.

The three syndicates implicated in the coordinated looting of hospital funds included the Maumela Syndicate, which is linked to Hangwani Morgan Maumela, who is the nephew of President Cyril Ramaphosa, through a previous marriage.

The DA wants Lesufi’s office to demand criminal charges against those implicated in the looting at Tembisa Hospital, as well as a process to quickly sell off assets of the syndicate kingpins’ and the money returned to the hospital.

DA Gauteng Shadow Health MEC Jack Bloom handed over the memorandum, which also calls for justice for whistleblower Babita Deokaran.

“…this means finding and charging the mastermind who ordered her murder, as well as suitable protection and honour for whistleblowers who expose wrongdoing,” the DA’s memorandum says.

The party also wants a wide scale investigation of procurement at all Gauteng hospitals, public disclosure of all findings, report-backs on the implementation of recommendations, and comprehensive procurement process reform.

“The corruption is far wider than Tembisa Hospital, and it needs to be rooted out. The reality is that people die when health money is misappropriated on such a massive scale. Premier Lesufi must stop the stealing and start the healing!” the party said.

Bloom said demands also included the sacking of Health and Wellness MEC Nomantu Nkomo-Ralehoko.

“She allowed former chief financial officer Lerato Madyo to resign with her pension money instead of being disciplined for suppressing Babita's exposure of suspicious contracts at Tembisa Hospital. We need a new MEC who will effectively break up the corruption networks and replace all the cronies with competent and ethical people,” the DA said.