In a dramatic move, Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi has with immediate effect suspended Lesiba Arnold Malotana, the Head of the Department of Health and Wellness. The announcement, confirmed early Tuesday by Gauteng Provincial Government spokesperson Elijah Mhlanga, comes amid intensifying pressure over ongoing investigations into alleged large-scale corruption tied to Tembisa Provincial Tertiary Hospital.
When pressed by African Times on the specific grounds for the suspension, Mhlanga was brief: “It’s a number of things. We can’t say for now.” He added that the Premier has tasked Dr Darion Barclay, currently leading the Provincial Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (CoGTA), to step in as Acting Head of the Health Department.
According to Mhlanga, Dr Barclay’s role is to “ensure stability and continuity in this critical department,” and his appointment “highlights the importance of prioritising seamless service delivery.”
Mhlanga further disclosed that on Thursday, 16 October 2025, the Premier’s Office will publicise the signed performance agreements of all Gauteng Members of the Executive Council (MECs).
“The Gauteng Provincial Government reaffirms its full support for the work of the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) and other law enforcement agencies. We remain steadfast in our commitment to root out maladministration and to uphold the highest standards of accountability and ethical leadership,” he added.
Background: SIU Probes, Audits, and the Tembisa Scandal
The suspension takes place against the backdrop of wide-ranging investigations by the Special Investigating Unit (SIU), which has been probing alleged corruption, procurement irregularities, and maladministration in various Gauteng government entities, especially within health. The SIU’s mandate under Proclamation No. 136 of 2023 empowers it to investigate and, where necessary, refer matters for civil or criminal recovery.
Earlier this year, Premier Lesufi’s administration drew headlines when it revealed the conduct of lifestyle audits of senior officials, a mechanism intended to detect unexplained wealth or incongruities in declared income and assets. This context of heightened scrutiny over public officials underscores the political and institutional pressure now bearing on the health department.
At the center of the storm is Tembisa Provincial Tertiary Hospital. The SIU’s interim report, released in late September, flagged over R2 billion in suspect procurement transactions involving three syndicates operating within the hospital system. Through analysis of 2,207 procurement bundles, it identified more than 4,501 purchase orders with signs of fraud, false documentation, fronting, and inflated pricing. Officials implicated in the scheme are believed to have benefitted to the tune of R122 million in corrupt payments.
One of the prominent figures under the SIU’s gaze is Hangwani Morgan Maumela, a businessman tied to the Maumela Syndicate, flagged in the SIU report for his role in procurement irregularities worth roughly R816 million across 1,728 bundles. Maumela is widely reported in media as the nephew of President Cyril Ramaphosa, stemming from a previous marriage.
Recently, SIU teams raided Maumela’s Sandton luxury estate, seizing high-end vehicles (including Lamborghinis), artwork, furniture, salon and properties, a concerted asset recovery operation tied to the Tembisa scandal. The SIU has also secured preservation orders for R900 million in assets to prevent their dissipation pending legal proceedings. The Asset Forfeiture Unit (AFU) has likewise frozen nearly R326 million in properties, vehicles, and other holdings linked to both Maumela and Rudolph Mazibuko, a co-syndicate operator.
In response to public concern, the Presidency held a media briefing on Monday, during which spokesperson Vince Magwenya reiterated that President Ramaphosa does not personally know Maumela. However, Magwenya acknowledged that Ramaphosa was “married to his aunt many years ago,” a familial tie he has elsewhere downplayed.
Whistleblower Slaughtered, Questions Unanswered
The unraveling Tembisa scandal also resurrects the tragic memory of whistleblower Babita Deokaran, who was gunned down in August 2021 outside her Johannesburg home. Deokaran, then a senior finance official in Gauteng Health, had flagged irregular contracts tied to Maumela’s entities just weeks before her death. Six men were later convicted of her slaying, but authorities have never publicly exposed those who orchestrated the killing, sparking ongoing demands for justice from her family and civil society.
Observers say Deokaran’s death remains a chilling symbol of how perilous it can be for insiders who expose corruption in South Africa’s public sector.
The suspension of Malotana marks a clear signal from Premier Lesufi that accountability may now extend to the top echelons of the Gauteng health machinery. But many key questions remain: will Malotana be formally charged, or is the suspension a tentative step pending further evidence? Could other senior health officials or MECs come under suspension or face criminal proceedings? How quickly can the province ensure uninterrupted healthcare delivery while investigators probe the department? Can the SIU, AFU, and NPA coordinate effectively to convert preservation orders into successful civil recoveries and prosecutions?
What is undeniable is that the Tembisa Hospital saga has metastasized into a broader test of governance in Gauteng, and a reckoning over whether the state can reclaim not just stolen assets, but public trust.
