The Southern African Catholic Bishops’ Conference (SACBC) Justice and Peace Commission has welcomed the recent report by the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) exposing the looting of more than R2 billion from Tembisa Hospital.

In the statement signed by the Chairperson of the SACBC Social Action Department and Liaison Bishop for the SACBC Commission for Justice and Peace, Bishop Thulani Victor Mbuyisa described the scandal as “not only a grave betrayal of public trust but also a direct attack on the dignity and rights of the poor who depend on public health care.”

Reflecting on the human cost of corruption, the member of the Congregation of Mariannhill Missionaries recalled the sacrifice of Babita Deokaran, the courageous whistleblower who exposed irregularities at Tembisa Hospital and was tragically assassinated. “Her assassination stands as a sobering reminder of the grave risks faced by whistleblowers in South Africa,” the statement said.

The Commission emphasized that “justice for Babita Deokaran requires not only publication of reports but also concrete accountability through decisive prosecutions of those implicated. While the SIU report is a necessary first step, justice will remain incomplete unless the South African Police Service (SAPS) and the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) act on the SIU report with urgency, professionalism, and integrity.”

Highlighting persistent failures in the system, the statement continued: “Delays, weak investigations, and botched prosecutions have eroded public confidence in these institutions. We therefore call on the Public Protector to intervene and ensure that prosecutions arising from the SIU report are conducted swiftly, decisively, and without compromise.”

The Commission also warned that corruption of this magnitude is rarely confined to a single institution; therefore, the Commission urges “the SIU to expand its investigations beyond Tembisa Hospital.”

Using a moral and scriptural lens, the Commission condemned the misuse of health budgets: “The looting of health budgets represents not only a criminal offence but a moral failure of the highest order.”

“Using the words of Prophet Amos, we declare the words of God’s righteousness into the lives of those looting hospital budgets at the expense of the poor, lavishing themselves with stolen wealth while patients in public hospitals are left without medicine, equipment, and care: ‘You lie on beds of ivory and lounge on your couches. You dine on choice lambs and fattened calves. You drink wine by the bowlful and anoint yourselves with the finest oils, but you do not grieve over the ruin of Joseph’ (Amos 6:4–6).”

Concluding the statement, Bishop Mbuyisa CMM affirmed the Commission’s ongoing commitment: “We will continue to stand alongside the whistleblowers, praying and acting so that God’s justice may prevail.”