The Eastern Cape scooter ambulance procurement stands as one of the most absurd examples of COVID-19 corruption — a case where the veneer of emergency response could not disguise the brazen disregard for public health.
**The Scooter Ambulances**
Under MEC Sindiswa Gomba's direction, the Eastern Cape Department of Health spent R10.1 million to procure 100 motorbikes from Fabkomp as "mobile ambulances." The concept was presented as an innovative response to COVID-19 — rapid response vehicles for rural areas. The reality: motorbikes cannot carry patients, cannot transport medical equipment of any useful size, and are wholly unsuitable as ambulances. The procurement bypassed tender processes under the guise of COVID-19 emergency provisions.
The Special Tribunal declared the contract unlawful and invalid, ordering Fabkomp to repay profits. It was a textbook case of emergency procurement abuse: using the pandemic as cover to award contracts to preferred suppliers for goods that served no actual healthcare purpose.
**The Messenger's R23.4M PPE Fraud**
In a parallel scandal, Ayanda Matinise — the MEC's former messenger — forged the supply chain director's signature to authorise a R23.4 million PPE contract. A messenger, with no procurement authority whatsoever, was able to forge documents and authorise millions in spending. The Mthatha Specialised Commercial Crimes Court sentenced Matinise to 10 years imprisonment — making him one of the few individuals to actually receive a meaningful prison sentence for COVID-19 PPE corruption.
**Gomba Fired — and Charged Separately**
MEC Gomba was fired in February 2021. She also faced separate corruption, money laundering, and fraud charges related to the misuse of Nelson Mandela funeral funds — suggesting a pattern of conduct extending beyond COVID-19.
**The Broader EC Picture**
Over 350 Eastern Cape Health companies and contracts, valued at R2 billion+, were investigated by the SIU under Proclamation R23. The scooter ambulances and the messenger's fraud were merely the most visible elements of systemic procurement failure.