By Akani Nkuna
The Democratic Alliance is heading to court to contest the Gauteng legislature speaker’s decision to dismiss its motion seeking to censure health MEC Nomantu Nkomo-Ralehoko.
The party argues that the speaker acted unlawfully by blocking the motion, which aimed to hold the MEC accountable for alleged failures in the province’s health department.
The DA believes that the move undermines legislative oversight and accountability in the provincial government.
“This is a scandalous situation. The fact that ANC contrives to block normal democratic processes is appalling. But the DA will not roll over. We will go to court to stand for the rights of cancer patients and other Gauteng residents, whose livelihood is harmed by a dysfunctional and corrupt government,” DA Gauteng caucus chief whip Mike Moriarty said in a statement on Friday.
This follows the department failing to spend R250 million earmarked in the 2023/24 financial year for critical cancer treatment. Adding to concerns, is that it did not fully utilise the R261 million allocated for radiation therapy in the financial year ending March 2025.
In late March this year, a high court delivered a scathing judgement ruling that the department for acting unlawfully and being in breach of the Constitution by failing to provide urgent radiation treatment to thousands of cancer patients.
“[The provincial health respondents] allege that the applicant [Cancer Alliance] suffers no harm with the awarding of the tender to Siemens Healthcare,” stated the judgement.
“The provincial health respondents appear insensitive and dismissive of the actual harm that has been and is being suffered by the cancer patients on the backlog list, to whom they owe constitutional obligations.”
Moriarty said the speaker blocked a fair and reasonable debate.
“This is not the first time that the ANC has behaved in this way and blocked DA motions. This is a routine ANC strategy. But in this case, the DA has considered that the matter is so egregious that we cannot stand by and allow ourselves to be painted into a corner of silence,” Moriarty reiterated.
Moriarty accuses Premier Panyaza Lesufi’s administration of squandering public funds on an appeal against the court ruling ordering cancer treatment provision.
He argues that it delays care for critically ill patients, inflicts distress on their families and diverts essential resources from service delivery.
“So, what we will do is continue to pursue this, declare the speaker’s ruling unconstitutional, unlawful and invalid, and have it reviewed and set aside, with appropriate declaratory relief,” he added.
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