Latest news with #KgosiLetlape
Eyewitness News
6 days ago
- Health
- Eyewitness News
ActionSA slams Health Dept's failure to track nationalities of patients at State facilities
CAPE TOWN - ActionSA has slammed the Health Department for not keeping track of the nationalities of patients seeking treatment at State facilities. ActionSA member of Parliament (MP), Dr Kgosi Letlape, said this makes it impossible to budget and plan properly and ensure adequate resources at overburdened hospitals and clinics. Last month, Operation Dudula activists in Durban and Johannesburg attempted to turn away foreign nationals seeking treatment at several State facilities because of the impact they believe this is having on care offered to citizens. ActionSA is opposed to foreign nationals seeking free medical assistance when citizens are already bearing the brunt of overcrowding and long waits for assistance. READ: Health Dept says SA carries cost of treating foreign nationals, while upholding Constitution Letlape said the health minister's admission in response to a parliamentary question confirms its view that the department is unable to account for the full scope of service delivery liabilities. He said it's particularly concerning that millions of undocumented foreign nationals are making use of taxpayer-funded services. "We do not know the magnitude of the impact on health services. All that we see are drug shortages, poor quality of services, long queues, inability to serve the people who attend is because we do not know the numbers that attend our institutions." In May, ActionSA submitted proposals to Parliament's Constitutional Review Committee to amend the Constitution to limit healthcare services to citizens and legally recognised residents.
IOL News
30-07-2025
- Business
- IOL News
Revealed: MPs' interest-free loans and side business activities
EFF MP Eugene Mthethwa EFF MP Eugene Mthethwa disclosed R5,000 from a close friend and R10,000 from a comrade, among his gifts. The latest Register of Members' Interests for 2025 shows several Members of Parliament have disclosed receiving loans without interest from 'friends', family, and 'comrades', while others supplement their income by conducting consultancy work or have businesses. Image: Facebook Several Members of Parliament have disclosed receiving loans without interest from 'friends', family, and 'comrades', while others supplement their income by conducting consultancy work or have businesses in the taxi industry outside their parliamentary work. This emerged from the latest Register of Members' Interests for 2025 that was released recently. ActionSA MP Kgosi Letlape made a declaration for a 'loan-cash' from a friend. Similarly, ANC MP Cameron Dugmore declared interest-free loans from family and friends, while Deputy Minister for International Relations and Cooperation Tandi Moraka made a declaration of money from a friend under the benefits and interest-free loans section. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Ad loading ANC MP and chairperson of the Justice and Constitutional Development Portfolio Committee, Xola Nqola, also made a declaration on a R30,000 loan from a friend. Their colleague, Christina Tlhong, made a declaration of R60,000 in cash from a private individual under section for gift and hospitality. MK Party's Lucky Montana, who has three properties, disclosed that he has a business loan from Thabo Owen Mokoena and benefits from Midtownbrace, an investment in a joint venture for property development. EFF MP Eugene Mthethwa disclosed, among his gifts, R5,000 from a close friend and R10,000 from a comrade. Former Finance minister and now MK Party MP Des van Rooysen made a declaration of loan from friends, while his colleague Thulani Gamede declared cash-interest-free and interest-free loans also from friends. ANC MP Stanley Mathabatha disclosed in his declaration income from the business of cattle, goats, and sheep, and ANC MP Christopher Malematja disclosed that he received income from transport services in the form of taxis. Minister in the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni declared that she is a director of Nkho Trading, which is a transport business in taxis and buses. Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi said he was a director of Reatswelela Travel and Tours. Public Works and Infrastructure Deputy Minister Sihle Zikalala has other income from poultry and cattle. His colleague, Tshiamo Tsotetsi, declared income from the sale and purchase of goats and sheep. Tsotetsi also made a declaration of gifts of sheep from his uncle and R35,000 donations from private individuals for the Youth League programmes. ANC MP Mwelo Nonkonyana declared that he practises as an advocate of the high court and has received a sheep and blankets from family members valued at R5,000 and R100,000 cash from the Motsepe Foundation. Build One South Africa leader Mmusi Maimane disclosed that he resigned from Phangela Security, where he worked outside Parliament. Maimane made a declaration that he is a director of a partnership in five companies, including One South Africa Movement. DA MP Michael Bagraim has shares in 11 finance companies and does work for the law firm, Bagraim Attorney, outside his parliamentary work. Bagraim also receives other income from rentals and is a director in several companies involved in property development, wholesale, and consultancy, as well as a law firm. His colleague Joseph Britz does consultations on an ad hoc basis for Britz Attorneys, Conveyancer and Notary, and has shares in property development. DA MP Jan de Villiers declared that he has use of a free company-owned vehicle from Millstream Property Solutions, where he is a 100% director, and Wendy Alexander performs consultancy in business development outside parliamentary work. Women, Youth and People with Disabilities Deputy Minister Steve Letsike named remuneration outside parliamentary work as being vice-president and councillor for the South African Pharmacy Council. ANC MP and Health Portfolio Committee chairperson, Sibongiseni Dhlomo, disclosed that he does medical assessment reports for some lawyers pro bono as a way of gaining knowledge. 'This is during my spare time,' said Dhlomo.
TimesLIVE
14-07-2025
- Health
- TimesLIVE
Illegal foreigners should be removed from public hospitals or pay up, says ActionSA's Kgosi Letlape
ActionSA MP Kgosi Letlape has criticised the government's provision of health-care services to illegal foreigners. This comes after the government and the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) condemned the behaviour of community members and advocacy groups like Operation Dudula which have blocked illegal foreigners from receiving medical care. During an oversight visit to Rahima Moosa hospital in Johannesburg, Letlape was informed that more than 40% of the patient load consisted of foreign nationals. He believes that removing foreigners from public hospitals and clinics would alleviate the burden on the already strained system. 'If you take foreign nationals out of the public health-care system you may begin to cope with the burden,' he said in an interview with Newzroom Afrika. 'The system cannot cope.' According to the constitution, everyone has the right of access to health-care services. Letlape suggests the constitution should be amended to only cater to South African citizens and permanent residents. 'We cannot afford to provide health-care services to the globe, it's insufficient for our citizens.' He said foreigners should have health insurance to pay for services at private facilities. 'As they come in, they should have health insurance so that they'll be able to access private health care. If they access our facilities, they should pay for those services. I'm not violating their rights; I'm saying let them be upright citizens and respect the laws of this country. Let them not invade our borders unlawfully and when they present themselves here, let them be law-abiding legal citizens so that we can uphold their human rights.'
The Citizen
14-07-2025
- Health
- The Citizen
‘Broader investigation overdue' – ActionSA lodges criminal complaint against medical aids
The party said a criminal investigation would go a long way in exposing the 'deep-seated rot' within the health sector ActionSA MP and member of the Health Portfolio Committee Dr Kgosi Letlape has lodged a criminal complaints against medical aid schemes. This follows a report, commissioned by Minister of Health Aaron Motsoaledi, that found racial discrimination against black service providers by the schemes Chairperson of the independent investigative panel, Tembeka Ngcukaitobi, presented the report's key findings to the minister on Monday, 7 July. Findings The panel was tasked with determining if there were any racial undertones in the medical aid schemes' treatment of practitioners. ALSO READ: Medical aids slammed for procedural unfairness in new report 'The risk ratio is a tool we developed to work out the likelihood that a black practitioner would be subjected to an investigation, a finding and a penalty, versus a white practitioner,' explained Ngcukaitobi. 'What we did have the power to do was make findings of fact, and that finding of fact simply leads to one conclusion: the evidence of risk ratios showed racial discrimination against black service providers by the schemes.' Ngcukaitobi noted how, in 2017, one private medical aid scheme found black psychiatrists guilty of fraud, waste and abuse (FWA) at more than three times the rate of their white counterparts. ALSO READ: More than half of Discovery's medical aid plans saw declines in members last year Another private scheme was shown to have found black anaesthetists guilty of FWA over six times more often than other groups in 2018. In the government employee medical scheme, black dental therapists were generally three times more likely than non-black dental therapists to be found guilty of FWA in 2014. 'Critical step' against medical aid schemes On Monday, ActionSA said that laying formal criminal complaints was a crucial step to enable investigators to lawfully access the relevant records, communications and case files. ALSO READ: Trio of medical aids fail to maintain required liquidity 'These materials are essential to uncovering the full extent of any wrongdoing and ensuring that those implicated are held to account, including both medical schemes and practitioners who may have engaged in criminal conduct,' said ActionSA. 'ActionSA is of the considered view that a broader investigation into the conduct of these schemes is both necessary and overdue.' The party said a criminal investigation would go a long way in exposing the 'deep-seated rot' within the health sector, 'ensuring that criminal conduct is rooted out and that discriminatory practices which undermine the very principles of South Africa's constitutional democracy are brought to an end'. Additional reporting by Jarryd Westerdale READ NEXT: Medical schemes risk ruining their reputations through greed
eNCA
14-06-2025
- Politics
- eNCA
Young people give GNU a failing grade
JOHANNESBURG - ActionSA says young South Africans have given the GNU a thumbs-down. The party launched a series of engagements to hear the experiences of people from all walks of life. ActionSA Member of Parliament, Dr Kgosi Letlape had a sit down with eNCA's Heidi Giokos.
