The Acting Head and the Chief Financial Officer of the Northern Cape Health Department are expected to appear in the Kimberley Magistrate’s Court today. They are facing charges of fraud and contravention of the Public Finance Management Act. It’s alleged that last year the two senior officials awarded Personal Protective Equipment contracts to two companies without following prescribed procurement procedures. The total cost involved is estimated to be R43 million.

At the same time, the Department of Health in collaboration with civil society partners will today launch a free public transport pilot project for persons aged 50 years and above to vaccination sites in selected provinces as part of efforts to ramp up vaccinations amongst this cohort. Health department spokesperson Popo Maja says the pilot project would be rolled out in Gauteng, Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal and will run until 4 September. Maja says the results will be studied and analysed to make a determination for national rollout to allow for more vulnerable citizens in hard-to-reach areas to access the Covid-19 vaccine.