DENOSA Northern Cape not shocked at the arrest of the acting HOD of Health, Dr Deon Theys

DENOSA Northern Cape is not shocked at the arrest of the Acting HOD for Health, Dr Deon Theys.

Dr Theys was arrested on the 10th March 2021 for contravening the Public Finance Management Act pertaining to lease agreements for accommodation of nursing students amounting to R96 Million. He is currently out on bail for R30 000.00.

During the period in question, our nursing students suffered immensely having to bear very harsh living conditions as well as many issues around food which posed a direct threat to their health.

Besides this, our nursing students continuously complained of the unprofessional, rude and racist behaviour of the landlord at that time. During our deliberations during this period, it became clear that the building in fact belonged to Transnet and, in our understanding, because Transnet was a parastatal, the lease for accommodation to students should have been much cheaper, and DENOSA continuously raised this as a concern.

The situation has not changed much for nursing students being accommodated in and around Kimberley. In the meantime, a half completed nursing accommodation is located next to the Northern Cape New Mental Health Hospital, which in fact, in our view, has become a white elephant. This has resulted in the Department of Health further spending millions per year on private contractors to accommodate and transport nursing students.

DENOSA holds the firm view that this expenditure amounts to further mismanagement of funds, which in itself is corruption. DENOSA Northern Cape therefore calls on the MEC of Health and the Premier of the Northern Cape to recall the Acting HOD because it is our firm belief that a person that is implicated in such serious charges is not fit to hold such a high position in the most sensitive and complicated department as the Department of Health.

These allegations have dented the trust of clinical staff, including nurses, around the province who risk their lives on a daily basis with poor quality PPE because of “lack of funds” and who are not being paid a danger or risk allowance for risking their lives and that of their families.

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Issued by the Democratic Nursing Organisation of South Africa (DENOSA) in Northern Cape.

For more information, contact:

Anthony Vassen, Provincial Secretary  

Mobile: 072 569 9838

anthonyv@denosa.org.za