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Health Minister Dr Aaron Motsoaledi has welcomed the release of the forensic report into the controversial Pressure Swing Adsorption (PSA) Oxygen Plant tender. The investigation was commissioned by Public Works and Infrastructure Minister Dean Macpherson.
Dr Motsoaledi expressed relief that the findings would help lift the cloud surrounding the tender, which aims to equip 55 hospitals with oxygen supply infrastructure. He emphasized the critical importance of the project, highlighting that any wrongdoing had not only financial consequences but also affected life-saving healthcare delivery.
“We are pleased that those responsible for wrongdoing will be held accountable. Their actions did not just involve financial misconduct but also denied South Africans urgent access to oxygen,” he said.
The Minister noted that when allegations of corruption emerged, he and Minister Macpherson swiftly intervened, moving the tender from the Independent Development Trust (IDT) to the Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA) to safeguard the project.
Importantly, Motsoaledi confirmed that no funds were lost and all donations from the Global Fund remain intact. “It would have been tragic if donor money disappeared under our watch,” he added.
He also welcomed the confirmation that the Department of Health was not implicated in any financial misconduct, which would have jeopardized its relationship with key international partners.
With the report now public, Dr Motsoaledi said the focus must return to completing the project. He urged the DBSA to accelerate the work to ensure the hospitals receive the essential oxygen infrastructure without further delay.
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