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Temba Dube Deputy News Editor—
TWO Mpilo Central Hospital executives who were suspended last year for abuse of office have been fired. The chairperson of the hospital’s board Sichelesile Moyo-Ncube yesterday confirmed that operations director Duduza Regina Moyo and finance director Charles Govo have been relieved of their duties.

“The Health Services Board has dismissed them following a hearing. We’ve been informed of that decision. That’s all there is to say at this time,” said Moyo-Ncube.

Sources in the Ministry of Health and Childcare told The Chronicle that Moyo was found guilty on a majority of the 11 charges she was facing.

The source revealed that the former operations director has been ordered to repay $35,000 to Mpilo Central Hospital, which is an advance payment that she facilitated for a company that did not provide service to the institution.

“Both Moyo and Govo have been dismissed without pay and benefits for the period they were under suspension,” said the source.

The source said Moyo was found guilty of failing to obey lawful instructions and circulars from the treasury.
Moyo, the source said, was also found guilty of failing to adhere to State Procurement Board band limits for tenders.

“The Procurement Act that guides public institutions stipulates that for goods and services that cost up to $10,000, an institution should obtain a minimum of three competitive quotes from prospective suppliers. Tenders above $10,000 should be advertised in the Government Gazette and a national newspaper that circulates in the public institution’s area of jurisdiction,” said the source.

“Moyo would influence the hospital’s Tender and Procurement Committee to award tenders without getting quotes. She would also award tenders above $10,000 without advertising or splitting a tender into smaller units costing less than $10,000,” said the source.

A tender awarded to Ashton Mpofu’s New Planet for Mpilo’s radiotherapy centre was split into bits and ended up costing nearly $3 million, instead of the budgeted $1,049 million.

“Moyo was indicted for writing letters of demand for payment on behalf of the hospital’s suppliers. She also facilitated payments for services that were not rendered to the hospital,” the source said.

Govo, added the source, was fired for making advance payments to suppliers who never delivered.
“He was also involved in illegally splitting tenders to bypass SPB band limits,” the source said.

The hospital’s chief executive officer Dr Lawrence Mantiziba, Moyo and Govo were suspended without pay last year.
An initial audit had implicated them in a tender scam that reportedly resulted in Mpilo losing millions of dollars.

Mantiziba escaped a disciplinary hearing after his contract with the health institution ran out days before the others appeared before the HSB on September 14 last year.

The source said Mantiziba was found guilty of failing to supervise his subordinates, in absentia.
According to an audit report triggered by the new Mpilo board, the executives could have acted as a syndicate to bleed millions from the hospital’s coffers.

The report shows standards plummeted to an extent that patients were last year subjected to the horror of seeing two mortuary attendants dragging a body down a flight of stairs.

The report indicates the human resources turmoil left supervision gaps that enabled nurses at the institution to carry out illegal abortions for a fee, while nurses and clerks were charging patients and pocketing the money.

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

Mantiziba and Moyo strongly deny allegations of soliciting bribes.
Corruption has always been whispered about at Mpilo Central Hospital but no action was taken until Health Minister David Parirenyatwa appointed a new board last year.

Vice President Phelekezela Mphoko’s son, Siqokoqela, who sits on the operations committee of the board, is believed to have been instrumental in sparking the probe after introducing new systems also used at Choppies Supermarket where he is a director.

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