A service provider is intending to take legal action against the Northern Cape Department of Health as it is owed R120,000 for the provision of foodstuffs to Hartswater Hospital in 2017.
A SERVICE provider is intending to take legal action against the Northern Cape Department of Health as it is owed R120,000 for the provision of foodstuffs to Hartswater Hospital in 2017.
The owner of Talitype, Pascale Morake, said he was awarded a three-month tender but only two months were paid in 2017.
“Six years later, I have not received a cent from the department. This is after I opened criminal charges against the supply chain manager who was assigned to receive and sign the invoice and delivery note.”
Morake stated that the manager was handed a three-year sentence or fine amounting to R120,000, along with a further two-year suspended sentence, after being convicted on two charges of corruption in December 2022.
The accused was also ordered to pay R4,000 into the criminal assets recovery account on or before December 30, 2022 as it was deemed to be the proceeds of unlawful activities.
Morake pointed out that it was shocking that she was still in the employment of the department despite the conviction.
“This shows total disregard for the rule of law by the employer. The funds that were supposed to go towards paying the service provider were instead paid into a relative’s bank account. No steps were taken to prevent her from committing the same offence. Other small and micro enterprises are suffering to sustain their businesses because of the government’s failure to account for their actions.”
He added that he had made several pleas to the head of the Department of Health, Riaan Strydom, and the MEC for Health, Maruping Lekwene, as well as the legal adviser of the premier, Norman Shushu, to facilitate payment.
“My cries have fallen on deaf ears.“
Morake said that he was struggling to make ends meet.
“My son had to drop out of university as there aren’t funds to pay his fees.”
Northern Cape Department of Health spokesperson Lulu Mxekezo said they were in the process of paying the service provider that delivered the service.
“Internal processes are under way to deal with the outcome of the criminal case,” she added.
