Chairperson, Minister, during the launch of the Health Sector Anti-Corruption Forum, the Council for Medical Schemes revealed that at least R22 billion a year is lost to corruption in the health sector. Further to that, the SIU confirmed that fraud, waste, abuse in the sector amount to R39 billion a year.
It is therefore fair to conclude that over R60 billion a year is lost to corruption and inefficiencies within our system. This is money that could have been spent improving the health system and the lives of South Africans. This is money that could go towards upgrading hospitals and clinics, expanding the community health worker programmes, filling vacancies and critical posts. Instead, this money is lining pockets of those who are never punished by this government, people who steal shamelessly from the public.
In the quest to bring about universal health care in South Africa, there is a push for this government to establish another SOE that will contain a multibillion rand fund that will be managed by those who are politically connected to you, Minister. This goes against every good governance principle. How can we trust that the health sector will not become another Eskom or SAA and collapse due to rampant corruption? [Applause.]