Eastern Cape health officials banned from private work

Employees of the Eastern Cape health department have been banned from doing business outside government without pre-approval, a spokesman said on Thursday.

"All employees are not allowed to do business or any remunerative work outside public service without prior approval from the Superintendent General of the department," spokesman Sizwe Kupelo said in a statement.

"This directive seeks to ensure that all employees focus their energies in acceleration of service delivery to the people of the province and ensure that the values and principles enshrined in the Constitution are not compromised."

Kupelo said the decision to ban employees from private work came after the department had received complaints that patients had to wait in long queues because the officials were doing work elsewhere during working hours.

"In some instances professionals would be accused of taking leave days to do private work even outside the province."

Kupelo said any employee who currently traded with the provincial government or had an interest in a business, company or entity that traded with the provincial government must declare so in writing to the departmental superintendent general and the accounting officer of the department they or the company traded with.

Employees who received gifts in excess of R350 were required to declare these to the superintendent general in writing within one day of receipt.

Bursary scheme beneficiaries were urged to honour their placement to rural hospitals or risk being forced to repay all the money they received towards their studies.