More than four years after the North West public works and health departments signed a R600 million lease to rent a complex for the provincial Health Department, eight officials have been called to a disciplinary hearing about the deal.
The officials – seven from the provincial Public Works Department and one from the Health Department – appeared before a disciplinary committee on Wednesday.
They include the former head of the Public Works Department, Obakeng Mongale; Pandora Hlakanye, who was the director of facility management; IT employee Seatlholo Matlhaku; Josie Scholtz; Johanna Hart; Johannes Tselane; Mbulelo Tundzi, who sat on the tender adjudication committee; and Vuyo Mbulawa, the former chief director of corporate services in the Health Department.
Provincial health spokesman Tebogo Lekgethwane confirmed that Mongale, who has since moved to the Health Department, and Mbulawa, attended an “enquiry”. They were not charged but were only there to establish facts, said Lekgethwane, adding that the department was not privy to the details of the meeting as it was a closed, ongoing session.
Provincial public works spokesman KJLebo Mokgethi would not confirm which employees were summonsed or whether their disciplinary hearings were linked to the Peolwane Properties lease.
The disciplinary hearing of the eight employees was scheduled for the same week that the two departments, in conjunction with the provincial Treasury, started a court process to set aside the pricey lease – signed off in 2008 by the provincial Health Department and costing R3.9m a month.
It kicked in in November, but the department has refused to move in or pay rent.
The building’s owner, Peolwane Properties, approached the Mafikeng High Court to get the department to honour its lease obligations and the court ordered a review of the tender.
But since the lease was signed four years ago, more than four officials involved in the decision have left the health and public works departments.
Mongale is now executive manager for specialised hospitals and medical support services in the Health Department and Hlakanye is chief of facility management.
The disciplinary hearing followed a report by The Sunday Independent that the department had ordered a forensic investigation conducted by Gobodo Incorporated of the the lease after complaints from a losing bidder.
The Guardian 
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