adminTemba Dube Deputy News Editor
THE Health Services Board (HSB) has extended the period of suspension for four Mpilo Central Hospital executives by two months, after an ongoing audit allegedly unearthed massive corruption requiring further scrutiny, The Chronicle has learnt.
The hospital’s chief executive officer Lawrence Mantiziba, operations director Duduza Regina Moyo, Finance director Charles Govo and the chairperson of the central buying unit, Mxolisi Sibanda, were in April suspended without pay for three months.
An initial audit had implicated them in a tender scam that reportedly resulted in Mpilo Central Hospital losing millions of dollars.
The Ministry of Health and Child Care had projected that the audit would be completed this month.
HSB executive director Ruth Kaseke said: “Information you have is correct, the suspensions were extended for two months to allow the Board to finalise the cases.”
Kaseke said the audit was carried out by the Ministry of Health and Child care and referred further questions to the permanent secretary Gerald Gwinji.
Gwinji has not been answering his mobile phone since Wednesday.
However, sources close to the audit told The Chronicle more heads were likely to roll at the health institution as investigators had uncovered serious rot.
“It seems the tentacles of corruption at the hospital were far reaching. Evidence implicating heads of departments has been found and more people are likely to be fired,” said a source who cannot be named for professional reasons.
Mantiziba is being charged with failing to put up structures to prevent fraud at the institution.
Operations director Duduza Moyo allegedly influenced tender procedures to prejudice the hospital of millions of dollars while Sibanda allegedly assisted her.
Allegations against finance director Govo are that he ignored State Procurement Board requirements and paid suppliers who did not have Tax Clearances and company registration.
The Chronicle lifted the lid on the alleged corruption in February, when a $3 million tender which had been awarded to Bulawayo businessman Ashton Mpofu’s New Planet Company was cancelled after Mpofu allegedly refused to bribe Mantiziba and Moyo.
The two officials have strongly denied trying to extort money from Mpofu.
Moyo alleged Mpofu threatened to harm her following the cancellation and requested a bodyguard from the Board, which used the opportunity to take a closer look at Mpilo’s management.
The tender for the refurbishment of the hospital’s radiotherapy centre — according to an earlier audit report – had been illegally and unnecessarily split into smaller tenders. The auditors said if the contract had been given to one company, it would have cost approximately $1 million, but after being split up, it ended up costing up to $3 million.
On April 20, burglars broke into the accounts office at Mpilo Central Hospital in a suspected bid to steal documents used to determine that the hospital coffers were being raided.
The following day, keys to the suspended executives’ offices were stolen.
On April 22, members of the board were evacuated from the boardroom after reports that there was a bomb. The board was meeting to map out a strategy for the extensive audit currently underway.
It later turned out the bomb scare was a hoax.
The board chairperson Sichelesile Moyo-Ncube said at the time that the documents were moved out of the hospital to a secret location long before the break-in.
Online Reporter