Rabia Mayet | rabiamayet@radioislam.co.za

12 March 2026

1-minute read

The DA made explosive allegations at a media briefing yesterday, accusing the Gauteng Health Department of paying a confidential sum to silence a senior official facing disciplinary charges related to the Tembisa Hospital corruption scandal.

Lerato Madyo, the chief financial officer that Babita Deokaran, the murdered whistleblower in the Tembisa Hospital scandal, confided in, received an undisclosed payment upon her “supposed resignation”. The department recently admitted that Lerato Madyo did not resign but was given an “undisclosed monetary sum” after a negotiated agreement.

According to the DA’s Dr Jack Bloom who exposed the case, the state lied to the public and the department did not complete the 13 charges of misconduct against Madyo, allowing her to get off scot-free. “The DA’s going to leave no stone unturned to get hold of this so-called confidential agreement so that we know what she was paid,” he emphasized.

The Gauteng MEC claimed no irregularities in the case, but according to the premier’s office, they did not give approval for it and were only informed about it later. The case reeks of a cover-up with political protection, and Dr Bloom feels that “everybody who was implicated in the murder of Babita Deokaran and the looting of R2million from Tembisa Hospital needs to be charged and appear in court.”

In the interest of the public, Dr Bloom stated that the agreement ought to be made public and concluded that the DA “will use all avenues to make sure that there is justice in this case.”

Listen to the full interview with Ml Junaid Kharsany and Dr Jack Bloom here.