The ANC members of the Eastern Cape Legislature have shown that they do not care about the patients of this province, nor are they in favour of holding their deployed cadres accountable.

The Democratic Alliance (DA) yesterday brought an urgent motion calling for the Department of Health to enter into a payment plan with Afrox. This follows after the largest oxygen supplier in the province threatened to stop supplying gas to public hospitals and clinics due to the mounting debt owed.

Despite the significant risk to patients whose very lives could depend on hospitals or clinics having oxygen, the ANC voted against the motion. They were more concerned about the risk that one of their own would be held accountable for failing to act, than they were about the lives of the people of this province.

In response to a parliamentary question from the DA, Health MEC, Nomakhosazana Meth, revealed that at the end of June 2023, the debt to Afrox stood in excess of R49 million. She also revealed that, while several payments have since been made, her Department still owed the company in excess of R21 million.

Download IQP Response

This, in itself, is a gross violation of the Public Finance Management Act and Treasury regulations that require suppliers to be paid within 30 days.

Last year, the DA brought a similar motion to the Legislature, calling for the Department to pay suppliers of critical implants to Livingstone Hospital as they had stopped supplies due to exorbitant monies owed. Subsequently, critical surgeries could not be conducted, leaving patients in severe pain with a high risk of septicaemia and amputation.

That motion was passed, but the Department failed to implement it, leaving patients to suffer in agony.

Subsequently, when the DA called for a payment plan to be implemented with Afrox, we also added a clause that should the resolution not be implemented, the Department’s accounting officer must be held accountable.

Download Motion

This province is gasping for air, and the ANC has its foot on the supply line. While the people of this province continue to suffer, their cadre-deployed millionaire managers do nothing, and no one is held accountable.

The DA will continue to fight for the people of this province and will take action against those who fail them in order to rescue the Eastern Cape.