Fire On Saturday evening 19 April 2025, a fire broke out in the hospital’s Accident and Emergency Unit, prompting the evacuation of at least 79 patients and six staff and shutting the emergency department to ambulance admissions for the time being. Further reports confirmed no casualties and noted that only the emergency wing was affected while other wards remained operational. The closure of the emergency unit forced ambulance diversion and public advisories to use nearby facilities.
Corruption investigation In September 2025, the
Special Investigating Unit (SIU) released an interim report into Tembisa Hospital, identifying three major syndicates responsible for looting more than R2 billion from the hospital’s procurement and service contracts. The investigation revealed irregular procurement practices and investigators analysed more than 2 200 bundles of purchase orders, 207 service providers traded under 4 501 purchase orders, and that payments to officials of the Gauteng Department of Health and Tembisa Hospital reached over R122 million. The
Premier of Gauteng,
Panyaza Lesufi, subsequently suspended the Head of Health Department, Lesiba Malotana, citing “wholesale looting” at the hospital. The hospital has faced repeated criticism for overcrowding, infrastructure deficiencies, and service delivery challenges. In 2022 the South African Human Rights Commission noted reports of a shortage of staff, dilapidated infrastructure and severe overcrowding at the facility. Her whistle-blowing is widely regarded as the catalyst for the uncovering of a major fraud investigation. Tragically, she was assassinated outside her Johannesburg home on 23 August 2021;
the murder of Deokaran led to national scrutiny of the hospital’s procurement practices. Following the revelations, the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) released an interim report that implicated three major syndicates in the looting of more than R2 billion from Tembisa Hospital through irregular tenders and fraudulent procurement. Among those named were businessman
Hangwani Maumela, identified as linked to over R800 million in tenders through his companies, and Rudolph Mazibuko, whose syndicate was alleged to have secured more than R283 million. In the same month the Democratic Alliance (Gauteng) welcomed asset forfeiture actions against Maumela and others such as Mazibuko, including nearly R400 million in property seizures. In October 2025 the Gauteng Premier placed the head of the provincial health department, Lesiba Arnold Malotana, under immediate suspension, citing “wholesale looting” at Tembisa Hospital and the need to restore integrity to the health system. == References ==