State doctor recruitment--key official in corruption probe.

From Izindaba’s own observations while probing the rural doctor staffing crisis in late 2006 and visiting the foreign workforce management programme (FWMP) offices of the health department in Pretoria, this probe will continue to impact negatively on foreign doctor placements. The deputy director was officially suspended in early April when allegations of the ‘cash for jobs’ scam first emerged. Ngake reluctantly confirmed that the probe embraced at least 2 staffers, adding that ‘it’s a very sensitive matter that’s going to involve management and beyond’. He was ‘hopeful’ that police would ‘arrest someone soon’, but said it was impossible to say how long this would take.