Obakeng Mongale

The DA in North West welcomed the arrest of the North West Provincial Department of Health’s HOD, Obakeng Mongale, for his alleged involvement in the R470 million Brits Hospital scandal during his tenure as the then HOD for the Department of Public Works.
North West Health MEC, Madoda Sambatha placed Mongale on special leave after his appearance in court on Friday. “Once again, the North West Department of Health will be left with an Acting HOD, while paying Mongale’s full HOD salary during his special leave,” said DA spokesperson Gavin Edwards.
Mongale allegedly awarded IIima Projects and Tsoga Developers a R470 million tender to construct Brits Hospital. Investigations by Serious Commercial Crime Investigation revealed that the two companies were awarded the tender without meeting requirements. “In 2010, Ilima Projects was allegedly placed under provisional liquidation, which
resulted in the termination of the contract. A new company was appointed to complete the construction of the hospital. The department had spent over R57 million when the contract was terminated, said Hawks spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Tinyiko Mathebula.”The DA rejected the appointment of Mongale as Head of the Department of Health in North West in 2021. This situation could have been avoided had MEC Sambatha considered our objections in good faith when we raised them in 2021 and to rather appoint an individual that is fit-for-purpose and above reproach.”
Edwards said Mongale was appointed Health HOD to replace the former HOD, Dr Andrew Lekalakala, who himself has been arrested for alleged fraud of R49 million through his company, Raliform Investment, in the construction of the Moses Kotane Hospital in Rustenburg and the Joe Morolong Hospital in Vryburg.