EWN reports that Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi has said that it was untrue that a moratorium has been placed on the hiring of hospital staff.  

On Thursday, he defended earlier comments that posts had been frozen, saying that he had no authority over appointments at provincial level.  Presenting the findings of a ministerial service delivery investigation into 25 state hospitals in six provinces to Parliament’s health portfolio committee, Motsoaledi said that Health MECs were the ones blocking appointments.  Noting that in several provinces, MECs have not decentralised the appointment of staff, he commented:  "Severe centralisation of appointments and services (exists) where you find that in some hospitals, even to hire a cleaner, that must be approved by an MEC.  I’m sure you are aware that can’t work."  Motsoaledi stated that if the system of appointments was not changed, current service delivery problems would persist.  The investigation found that the procurement problem in hospitals was affecting staff morale.

• This report by Lindsay Dentlinger is at EWN

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