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Temba Dube Deputy News Editor
THE Mpilo Central Hospital tenders scandal took a new dramatic turn yesterday after keys to the offices of four suspended executives were stolen. Mpilo’s acting clinical director, Solwani Ngwenya, had been handed caretaker charge of the keys following the departures of CEO Lawrence Mantiziba, operations director Duduza Regina Moyo, finance director Charles Govo and Mxolisi Sibanda, the chairperson of the central buying unit.

Ngwenya, according to police sources, was buying food at a supermarket in Bulawayo when his Mazda X7 vehicle was broken into and a bag containing the keys stolen.

The incident came a day after the hospital’s accounts offices were burgled. The burglars, hospital officials said, were after records that were used by auditors to conclude the institution was losing millions of dollars through tender scams.

The Mpilo Central Hospital Management Board, which has been credited with exposing the Mpilo rot, handed Ngwenya caretaker charge of the keys for access to fuel coupons and other materials critical to the day-to-day running of the hospital.

Mpilo board chairperson Sichelesile Moyo-Ncube yesterday said they had “reacted swiftly to change the locks in all the offices, within an hour of Ngwenya reporting the theft.”

She said the board remained undeterred in its mandate to investigate and weed out corruption if it existed at the hospital. She said the audit documents were in a secure location where burglars would not be able to access them.

Sources at the hospital said the latest burglary showed the extent of desperation on the part of people likely to be affected by an extensive audit that has been ordered into the affairs of the hospital.

“This shows they have people who report directly to them at the hospital. These people are desperate and seem prepared to go to any lengths to ensure the audit doesn’t take place,” said an official who preferred anonymity.

The official said the key raiders appeared to have been tracking Ngwenya from the moment he received the keys.

“Imagine, someone broke into a Mazda X7 in less than two minutes and stole the keys. With the sophistication of the locking system in the vehicle, you have to think they hired a professional. They will stop at nothing it seems,” said the official.

“There must be something very important in those offices that everyone is missing. The board must ensure that whatever it is, is removed before it gets stolen.”

Staff in the accounts department were picked up by police for questioning following the burglary at the accounts offices.

On Monday, hospital officials said the burglars could have been on a mission to plant documents that would influence the outcome of future audits.

The Chronicle lifted the lid off the alleged corruption in February, when a $3 million tender, which had been awarded to Bulawayo businessman Ashton Mpofu’s New Planet Company, was cancelled after Mpofu allegedly refused to bribe Mantiziba and Moyo.

Mantiziba and Moyo strongly deny allegations of soliciting bribes.

Moyo alleged Mpofu threatened to harm her following the cancellation and requested a bodyguard. The tender – according to an audit report – had been illegally and unnecessarily split into smaller tenders.

Auditors said if the contract had been given to one company, it would have cost approximately $1,049 million. After being split up, it ended up costing more than $2 million.

Corruption has always been whispered about at Mpilo Central Hospital but no action has been taken, until the Health Minister David Parirenyatwa appointed a new board last year.

The board comprises Moyo-Ncube as chairperson, Siqokoqela Mphoko, Goodness Msimanga, Hudson Hlabangana, Prince Kunaka and Nomathemba Ndiweni.