UPDATED: KwaZulu-Natal Health MEC Nomagugu Simelane defends against online misinformation with a PR company release

KwaZulu-Natal's Health MEC, Nomagugu Simelane, has taken a firm stand against what she described as a campaign of online misinformation and malicious character attacks directed at her and her family.

Speaking out publicly, Simelane asserted that the attempts to tarnish her reputation were a carefully orchestrated effort aimed at derailing her accomplishments within the public healthcare sector.

“The timing of all these baseless accusations surfacing together is no coincidence. They are part of calculated efforts to deliberately tarnish my reputation,” she stated during Tuesday's departmental budget debate at the provincial legislature.

With a public service career spanning nearly two decades, beginning in 2004, Simelane felt strongly about defending her name against what she categorically deemed defamation and manipulation.

She reiterated her standpoint with a media statement released by PR Worx, a media company, yesterday, Simelane emphasised her right as a citizen to protect her reputation and the integrity of her office, which plays a crucial role in the lives of the people of KwaZulu-Natal.

“I have the same right as any citizen to defend my name, to stop the spread of lies, to protect my reputation, and to safeguard the integrity of my office,” she said.

At the heart of the allegations was a claim that Simelane misused her political influence to procure a government-funded farm for her family.

In response, she clarified that the purchase in question was financed via a loan from Ithala Bank in 2008, a transaction that occurred four years after she resigned from her family's business in 2004. Furthermore, Simelane noted that she was a junior official in another department at that time, with no involvement in Ithala Bank’s loan approval processes.

Other bits of controversy attached to her name include nepotism accusations within the department she ran, particularly regarding her sister's appointment as the Assistant Director of Human Resources.

Simelane firmly countered these claims, insisting that her sister's appointment adhered to a transparent and competitive recruitment process designed to uphold integrity in hiring.

In her budget speech, Simelane spoke of upgrades to clinics, improvements to the Emergency Medical Services (EMS), and interventions made to enhance service delivery within the Health Department. However, members of the MKP directed scathing remarks at Simelane.

Judith Gasa, MKP MPL, spoke about allegations that she heard in the news that Simelane was seen at the airport with a bag full of money. Gasa was asked to withdraw her statement because it was fake news, and she was also informed that MPLs should not come to the legislature to make such accusations.

Gasa was also concerned about contracts and Public-Private Partnerships (PPP), which she labelled as politically protected plundering.

"The MEC wants us to believe that digitising the health system would improve efficiency, yet she cannot even digitise honesty in her office. Before we digitise health records, can we first digitise a list of MEC members' families who have benefited from the health tenders?” Gasa said.

She added that MPLs were called to vote upon the health budget at a time when Simelane is facing allegations of “using proximity to benefit her family of KwaZulu-Natal provincial government funds to the tune of millions.”

“How can the legislature entrust the MEC to safeguard this substantial budget allocation? We call for a full forensic audit of all PPP arrangements in the Department of Health and the immediate suspension of any official with political links to irregular procurements,” Gasa said.

In response to Gasa, Simelane said she did not expect her (Gasa) to bring up fake news in the legislature.

“You expect an honourable member of her calibre to read to understand and follow. But I suppose this is what her party decided to send her to do. We also know that there are MKP members who are benefiting from the National School Nutrition Programme. The premier must also bring them to this House. So let us be scrutinised. All of us as members will be able to be investigated by the premier,” Simelane said.

Dr Keeka, DA MPL, said he supported due process, not trial by media. “In the event that hard evidence – which is credible, verifiable, and legally sound – emerges, we will not hesitate to act. Until then, we will not join the current claims and counter-claims and will only act on cold, hard facts,” he said.

In light of the ongoing scrutiny, Simelane has urged Premier Thami Ntuli to initiate an investigation into the corruption allegations directed at her, calling for transparency in the face of unfounded accusations. She also appealed to MPLs, especially those from the MK Party, to advocate for an official inquiry with the Auditor-General of South Africa and the provincial Treasury.

DAILY NEWS