The MEC – Health
Gauteng Provincial Government
Dear MEC Nkomo-Ralehoko
Tembisa Hospital – Prayer Service
Thank you for the invitation to attend the prayer service for the Tembisa Hospital. I
unfortunately cannot attend.
This is due to the following:
- I have a scheduled board meeting that I cannot miss.
- I do not understand the purpose of the prayer service.
Let me explain. The prayer service comes a week after the release of the damning
SIU report into corruption at the Tembisa Hospital. The report makes it clear that the
systems of governance at the hospital and at the Provincial Department of Health
were and perhaps still are so weak that they allowed the R2 billion plunder to take
place.
The report points to poor management and leadership and an overall lack of
transparency and accountability in the Health Department. The comments of the
Premier that what happened at Tembisa is also happening at other health facilities in
Gauteng is most worrying.
What is needed is not prayer but a plan to eradicate corruption and poor services. In
the absence of this the call to prayer could be interpreted as nothing more than a
hollow act of deflection.
- I am not aware of the Deokaran family being invited to this service which also
appears not be an interfaith gathering.
MEC, civil society organisations will establish the Babita Deokaran – Gauteng Health anti-
corruption network in the near future and we hope that the Department will actively
collaborate with this initiative and develop a comprehensive plan to root out corruption in
Gauteng Health. This and the identification of the paymaster(s) of her killers will be the only
meaningful tribute that can be paid to Babita and many others who work to turn the tide
against corruption in Gauteng Health.
Yours sincerely
Neeshan Balton
9/10/25