Coronavirus: African nations battle corruption, profiteering linked to PPE, test kits
- Investigations under way in Democratic Republic of Congo, Zimbabwe, Uganda, South Africa and Kenya
- Zimbabwe’s health minister and South African president’s spokeswoman among those under scrutiny
African countries have received billions of dollars in fresh loans from the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund and other nations, including China. They have also sought debt relief from the Group of 20 to help them weather the storm.
But allegations of corruption are rife, with prices of Covid-19 related tenders being inflated, food meant for the poor going missing, and money allocated to pay for personal protective equipment (PPE) and medical supplies stolen.
In South Africa, President Cyril Ramaphosa has set up a ministerial committee to investigate alleged corruption in relation to the bidding for government tenders. The public is up in arms and there are now at least 36 cases under investigation.
Ramaphosa’s spokeswoman Khusela Diko and senior Gauteng province health official Bandile Masuku have taken leaves of absence pending investigations. Reports say Diko’s husband won a contract to supply PPE to the Gauteng government. The couple have denied any wrongdoing.
Ramaphosa said some companies had inflated PPE prices by up to 900 per cent.
“Attempting to profit from a disaster that is claiming the lives of our people every day is the action of scavengers,” the president said. “It is like a pack of hyenas circling wounded prey.”
On Wednesday, South Africa’s Health Minister Zweli Mkhize said he had set up a team to investigate reports of health care workers contracting the coronavirus because of insufficient or substandard supplies of PPE.
In Zimbabwe last month, President Emmerson Mnangagwa sacked his health minister Obadiah Moyo as a result of corruption allegations.
Moyo was later charged with impropriety in awarding a US$20 million contract for coronavirus testing equipment and PPE to Drax Consult, a company set up in Dubai just a few weeks before the tender process began.
Coronavirus vaccine will not be a magic bullet, scientists warn
Corruption cases have also been reported in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where cabinet members are alleged to have received kickbacks for awarding contracts for coronavirus test kits and other medical supplies.
In April, authorities in Uganda arrested and charged four senior government officials over claims they inflated the cost of relief food supplies that were intended to help poor people survive the lockdown period.
In Kenya, the Senate has ordered an audit of the funds spent since the coronavirus crisis began, while police are investigating the theft of donated equipment, including testing kits.
Anti-corruption watchdog Transparency International said “concerns about the misuse of funds, particularly from international donors and development agencies, continue to grow”.
“While procuring goods and services during an emergency response requires speed and decisive action, ensuring the money goes to where it’s needed most is equally important,” it said.
