Corruption busting: a real health threat

Abstract

A corruption cleanout by Eastern Cape Health Director General, Dr Siva Pillay, has so far landed eight of his top health care administrators in court and could eventually restore nearly R1 billion to his budget, but has endangered his life and that of his family.

Angry syndicates are believed to be behind a shadowy car park confrontation where several men in a green BMW blocked Pillay’s exit, one of them approaching his bakkie on foot, hand on a holstered weapon. Pillay happened to have two trained Alsatians in his bakkie awaiting a routine evening walk and ordered them to attack. They put the panicked would-be assailants to flight. The incident happened about 21h00 on 25 January this year in the deserted car park below the health department’s head office in Bisho. Pillay said it was followed by a verbal threat in front of witnesses by the husband of his sacked chief financial officer at the provincial legislature this April. ‘Basically he said I must not forget that this is Bisho and some of what I sow, I shall reap. He said the pit was getting deeper and deeper that they were digging for me and when they buried me nobody would ever get me out.’