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The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) says the damning Special Investigating Unit (SIU) interim report on widespread looting at Tembisa Hospital confirms that the collapse of public health infrastructure is a result of a criminal alliance between politicians, senior officials, and syndicates.<\/span><\/p>\n The SIU on Monday revealed that more than R2 billion was siphoned from Tembisa Provincial Tertiary Hospital through coordinated syndicates working with officials in the Gauteng Department of Health.<\/span><\/p>\n In a statement, the EFF said the findings expose how corruption has hollowed out healthcare and left hospitals understaffed, under-resourced, and unable to deliver quality care. The party insisted that the collapse of public hospitals has nothing to do with foreign nationals seeking healthcare, but rather with systemic corruption.<\/span><\/p>\n The EFF\u2019s response comes against the backdrop of mounting campaigns by anti-immigrant groups such as Operation Dudula and March and March, who have repeatedly staged marches at hospitals and clinics, demanding the exclusion of foreign nationals from accessing public healthcare. <\/span><\/p>\n These civic groups have argued that foreign nationals are a burden on already struggling healthcare facilities across South Africa.<\/span><\/p>\n has previously reported on several demonstrations at health centres in Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal, where protesters blocked non-South Africans from receiving care. In some cases, healthcare workers and civil society organisations pushed back, warning that such actions were unlawful and risked inflaming xenophobic violence.<\/span><\/p>\n The EFF said the SIU\u2019s interim report confirms that corruption, not the presence of foreign nationals, is responsible for the deterioration of South Africa\u2019s health system.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cThe picture is, therefore, clear that corruption in healthcare is systemic and protected by those in power,\u201d said <\/span>EFF national spokesperson Sinawo Thambo.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cPatients are dying in overcrowded and under-resourced hospitals not because of foreign nationals, but because the money meant to buy beds, medicines, and equipment is looted by politicians and their criminal partners. <\/span><\/p>\n \u201cWhat happened at Tembisa is happening across South Africa\u2019s health system, where mafias have captured supply chains while government leaders benefit directly,\u201d said Thambo.<\/span><\/p>\n Earlier this month, <\/span> reported that an investigation by the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), driven by a report<\/span> compiled by the late chief director of financial accounting at the Gauteng Department of Health, Babita Deokaran, has implicated President Cyril Ramaphosa\u2019s nephew.<\/span><\/p>\n Maumela is Ramaphosa\u2019s nephew from a previous marriage.<\/span><\/p>\n However, the president has previously distanced himself from Maumela in Parliament, saying he did not know him.<\/span><\/p>\n jonisayi.maromo@iol.co.za<\/strong><\/p>\n News<\/strong> <\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) says the damning Special Investigating Unit (SIU) interim report on widespread looting at Tembisa Hospital confirms that the collapse of public health infrastructure is a result of a criminal alliance between politicians, senior officials, and syndicates. The SIU on Monday revealed that more than R2 billion was siphoned from Tembisa […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":251858,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[2937,16480,3807,6613,8639,648,742,13161],"class_list":["post-251857","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-politics","tag-corruption","tag-crumbling","tag-eff","tag-foreigners","tag-hospitals","tag-scandal","tag-shows","tag-tembisa"],"yoast_head":"\nGet your news on the go. Download the latest App for <\/span>Android <\/span>and <\/span>IOS <\/span>now.<\/em><\/h3>\n