Bandile Masuku


Bandile Edgar Wallace Masuku is a South African medical doctor and politician who has served as the Gauteng MEC for Health and a Member of the Gauteng Provincial Legislature since May 2019. Masuku is a party member of the African National Congress.

Life and career

Bandile Masuku was born in the Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital in Soweto in the now-dissolved Transvaal Province. He grew up in Soweto and was expelled from school. While he was attending the Sekano-Ntoane Secondary School, Masuku became involved with youth activism. He joined the Congress of South African Students. He had to repeat matric in 1992, after not succeeding in 1991.
In 1994, he began studying at the Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University for a BSc. He registered for a degree in medicine in 1998 and fulfilled the degree in 2004 after he had to repeat a year. He was chair of the university's SRC. He was elected to the national executive committee of the South African Students Congress in 2002.
Masuku was appointed spokesperson of the African National Congress Youth League in 2013.
Masuku has worked at multiple hospitals, including Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Academic Hospital, Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital and Pholosong Hospital. He specialised in obstetrics and gynaecology. Prior to his appointment to the Gauteng provincial government, he served as the director of the obstetrics and gynaecology unit at the Thelle Mohoerane Regional Hospital in Vosloorus on the East Rand of Gauteng.

Gauteng provincial government

Masuku took office as a Member of the Gauteng Provincial Legislature on 22 May 2019. Premier David Makhura appointed him to his cabinet on 29 May. He was sworn in on 30 May and succeeded Gwen Ramokgopa.

Controversy

On 19 July 2020, the Sunday Independent reported that between 30 March and 1 April 2020, the Gauteng Health Department awarded two contracts of up to R78 million and R47 million to Royal Bhaca Projects, headed by disputed Amabhaca King Madzikane II Thandisizwe Diko, to supply personal protective equipment to the department. The Amabhaca King is married to the presidential spokesperson Khusela Diko, who also serves as a member of the ANC Provincial Executive Committee. The Dikos and Masukus have in the past, enjoyed a close relationship.
These contracts were part of R2,2 billion tenders awarded by the provincial health department since March 2020. Masuku has denied any involvement in the awarding of the tenders, while Diko has acknowledged that while his company has been awarded the tenders, it has not received any payment. His wife, Khusela, has taken a leave of absence.
Both Cosatu and the Economic Freedom Fighters have called for Masuku to resign. On 29 July, the ANC PEC resolved that Masuku and his wife should temporarily step aside while the ANC's Integrity Committee investigates the allegations. Makhura announced on 30 July that he had placed Masuku on leave and named Jacob Mambolo as his acting successor.

Personal life

Masuku is married to Loyiso, an ANC municipal councillor in the City of Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality and the municipality's MMC for Corporate and Shared Services. They have three sons and reside in Alberton, Gauteng.