The telephone services to the Gauteng health department’s head office had been cut off because of unpaid bills. A member of the Democratic Alliance said “Telephones at the Gauteng health head office have been cut because Telkom has not been paid for many months. It is now impossible to get hold of staff at the head office using a land line, and the staff cannot phone out either. They have to rely on cellphones, which are expensive compared to a landline”
The department owed R1.234 billion in late payments to 808 companies that had not been paid within the legally required period of 30 days. The department has also come under increased pressure because of court-ordered medical negligence payouts.