Johannesburg - DA Gauteng health spokesperson Jack Bloom has accused the Gauteng Department of Health (GDoH) of owing approximately R200 million to the City of Joburg.
The city has confirmed that its clients owe it about 38 billion in unpaid bills.
Bloom said the department is notorious for late payment and that it is grossly unfair to the residents of Johannesburg.
“According to the department’s 3rd Quarter Report, the department failed to pay 78% of suppliers within the required 30 days. This report covers the period from October to December last year,” Bloom said.
However, GDoH dismissed the DA’s figure saying it only owed R42m to the city.
“The current outstanding balance owed to the municipality based on our records amounts to R42 million and this will be paid by the end of Feb 2022.
“There is a historic debt that is currently being discussed with the City of Joburg which involves a faulty water metering reading at Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Academic Hospital,” said GDoH spokesperson Motalatale Modiba.
Bloom said Joburg Mayor Mpho Phalatse has correctly refrained from cutting off hospitals that owe money as this would hurt patients, and she has appealed to Premier David Makhura to get the department to pay its bills.
“Makhura promised eight years ago that he would fix the GDoH, but every year has seen a new scandal of poor decision-making, corruption and wasted money.
“He has also promised that the provincial government would pay its bills within 30 days, and would settle its debts to all municipalities.
“Premier, you need to keep your promises and pay all outstanding bills,” Bloom said.
On Wednesday, the City conducted Operation Buya Mthetho blitz in Region E (Sandton and surrounds).
Phalatse said residents, businesses and government owed the city around R38bn in unpaid municipal rates, taxes, and levies, which is just over half of the 2021/22 budget that comes in at over R73bn.
“There are options available to city account holders; unfortunately, today as the city we are left with no option but to terminate the services of these account holders.
“The culture of non-payment must be remedied and one such medicine is to take the drastic but necessary step of cutting off services,” Phalatse said.
Political Bureau