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between government officials and
businesses providing medical
equipment, as well as food aid parcels
to the poor, have sparked outrage in
South Africa, where more than half a
million cases of the coronavirus that
causes COVID-19 make it the fifth-
largest outbreak in the world. The
death toll this month is expected to
stretch to 15000 plus, the highest in
Africa.
South African President Cyril
Ramaphosa has set up a ministerial
committee to investigate alleged
corruption in state tenders in the
fight against the coronavirus, as the
government faces criticism over its
response to the pandemic. Pres. Uhuru Kenyatta

“The committee will look into
corruption in the procurement In other instances, PPE has not on a promise of stamping out the
of goods and services sourced for been delivered at all or contracts graft associated with his predecessor.
the purpose of containing and have been given to companies and
responding to the COVID-19 people connected to the government According to figures by Johns
pandemic,” a statement from and the governing African National Hopkins University, South Africa,
Ramaphosa’s office said on Congress Party (ANC). with a population of about 59 million,
Thursday, adding this “includes the is ranked fifth in the world in terms
procurement of personal protective The Special Investigating Unit (SUI), of COVID-19 cases. It falls behind
equipment (PPE)”. a government agency, said 102 the US, Brazil, Russia and India
companies in the province of Gauteng respectively, with a coronavirus
Africa’s most industrialised nation alone are under investigation. infection above 600,000 and 15000
accounts for more than half of the deaths.
continent’s total COVID-19 cases. South Africa’s anti-corruption
More than 24,000 health workers watchdog said on Monday it was In Uganda, the country recalled its
have contracted the disease and 181 investigating irregularities in these ambassador to Denmark and her
have died since March. contracts, the latest in a series of deputy after the duo were recorded
high-profile corruption scandals in a Zoom call allegedly plotting
Healthcare workers and unions say involving politically connected to pocket money allocated to deal
corruption is contributing to poor individuals. with Covid-19. While in Somalia,
delivery of services and putting lives a court handed down heavy
at risk. Ramahosa’s chief spokeswoman, sentences to four top health officials
Khusela Diko, is also reported for misappropriating pandemic
When the first infections were embroiled in a scandal involving relief funds. A leaked audio in
recorded back in March, the her husband Thandisizwe, whose which the country’s ambassador to
government declared a state of company is accused of winning a Copenhagen, Nimisha Madhvani,
disaster, which meant that the normal $7m contract to supply PPE through her deputy, and other staff members
tender procedure for government his political connections. Diko are heard laughing as they appear to
contracts was abandoned, and was forced to take special leave to be concocting a plan to share money
within days of the announcement, allow for investigations. The couple
a number of questionable contracts has denied breaking any laws. among themselves that is meant to
were awarded.” Gauteng’s top health official, Bandile be used to deal with the outbreak.

The Finance Minister Tito Mboweni Masuku, and his wife have also been In Nigeria, Civic Hive, a good
is quoted saying the process has to be implicated. governance NGO, recently uncovered
more transparent.” Bureau of Public Procurement data
Reports of corruption are showing that the Federal Ministry of
While the government has given embarrassing for Ramaphosa, who Health had spent N37.06m ($96,000)
contracts to service providers for took over from Jacob Zuma as on 1,808 ordinary face masks, about
PPE, the prices have been inflated. president more than two years ago $53 apiece.

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