The Sheriff of the court visited the Gauteng Health Department head office twice last week because they failed to pay court-ordered damages for medical negligence.
“Furniture was saved on the Sheriff’s first visit on Monday last week after a payment arrangement for R23 million was negotiated, but on his visit on Thursday he removed furniture despite efforts by staff who locked offices and blocked the lifts,” said Jack Bloom Gauteng MEC Shadow for Health.
Bloom said, “Sheriff Lutendo Mukwevho and 10 furniture movers arrived with an order to attach 400 desks, 800 chairs, 400 computers, five lounge suites and 50 printers.
“According to Clare de Lange of Adele van der Walt Attorneys, the department was served with a notice to pay on 18 June, but as no payment was received they attached the furniture.
“The amount owing was R8.3 million for a five-year-old who was brain damaged due to staff negligence when he was born in Tshwane District Hospital in February 2010.
“Government departments should respect the law like everyone else.
“It’s a poor example when furniture is carted off because the department ignores a court-ordered payment.
“I am disappointed because Gauteng Health MEC Qedani Mahlangu has promised a more professional approach to settling negligence cases, but it seems that old habits die hard.”
“The office of the state attorney represented the department in the said matter and they were instructed to prosecute a petition, which they inexplicably failed to do so,” said Gauteng Health MEC Qedani Mahlangu.
She said, “Subsequently, as a department, we were puzzled to realise that the plaintiff’s attorneys instructed the sheriff to attach and remove the department’s movable property.
“We also find it difficult to believe that the attached furniture will help their endeavour to recoup about R8 million claimed.”
Mahlangu says that in response, to the state attorney’s flagrant and disdainful disregard of the department’s instructions.
“The department terminated the state attorney’s mandate and instructed a private firm of attorneys to defend the department from the said quagmire.
“This successful interdict should be a deterrent to other claimants’ attorneys from wanting to attach our movable assets, and utilising services of sheriff to embarrass the department and unnecessarily disrupting our services.”
