Picture: North West Health HoD Dr. Thabo Lekalakala 

The arbitration court has ordered the North West Department of Health to reinstate its embattled HOD Dr Thabo Lekalakala after he was placed on a special leave pending an investigation into claims of corruption.

Lekalakala was suspended in April . His suspension lapsed in June and then he was placed on special leave as he was accused of benefiting from the Gupta linked Mediosa company.

He is expected to be back at work on Monday.

Health department’s spokesman Tebogo Lekgethwane  welcomed the arbitration verdict made  by  the Public Health and Social Development Sectoral Bargaining Council in November 8.

Lekalakala’s alleged involvement in the Mediosa contract  saw the provincial health department workers  protesting and calling for his removal.

They refused to be led by a person linked with spending millions of rands on a mobile clinic rather than using that money to pay for their bonuses.

Lekgethwane  said Lekalakala was suspended following allegations of procurement irregularities which affected a number of contracts which have since been a matter of forensic investigation.

“One such contract is that of Mediosa which has since been terminated,” Lekgethwane said.

He said there were two issues which were to be considered in this matter. The suspension of Lekalakala and the disciplinary actions instituted against him.

Lekalakala was suspended and returned to work a day after his suspension lapsed, and then he was placed on special leave.

He said Lekalakala was suspended with full salary, however, owing to the fact that allegations against him were still being investigated, he was afforded special leave.

He said the arbitration verdict which instructs health department to reinstate Lekalakala  was only concerned with the merits of special leave.

“The verdict has nothing to do with the investigations and the disciplinary actions.

“ The Department can confirm that disciplinary actions are continuing,” Lekgethwane said.

Lekalakala has been charged with procurement irregularities and misrepresentation of facts.

Specifically on the special leave matter, Lekgethwane said his department was still studying the verdict and applying its mind as to the way-forward.

Efforts to get a comment from Lekalakala were unsuccessful.

Source: http://www.sowetanlive.co.za 

Picture: EFF leader, Bunga Ntshangane 

EFF’s deputy chairperson in North West province boasted that his children were well educated as compared to the party’s administrator whom he called “rubbish”.

This was heard in  the Mmabatho magistrate’s court in Mahikeng on Tuesday, when EFF leader Bungas Ntsangane appeared on a case of assault.

who is also the party’s chief whip is facing a charge of assault and intimidation.

Ntsangane, who is also the party’s chief whip in the provincial legislature, is accused of beating up junior staff member Maggie Klaas in November 2017. The assault allegedly started after Ntsangani had requested Klaas to report early to work so that she could  open the office for assets management officials.

Klaas allegedly told him that she would not be able to come early to work as she did not have the office keys where the assets staffs were supposed to work.

Called to testify on what he had observed on that day, a witness who is also a party member, Thapelo Mothibi, said he heard Ntsangane verbally abusing Klaas.

“He said he did not care if he won’t be elected at the coming elections, saying he has children who were lawyers and engineers and that he did not care about rubbish like Maggie,” he told the court.

He said he also heard Ntsangane threatening to cut up Klaas’ genitalia, and also hearing a reference to her clitoris being “up” because the party was preparing for then  upcoming 2017 December conference.

Earlier in the day, another witness and EFF’s provincial chairperson Betty Diale, told the court that Ntsangane throttled Klaas and punched her with fists.

She said the incident might had happened for less than a minute, contrary to the version of Mothibi who said it happened for three to four minutes.

Ntsangane’s legal representative advocate Modisaotsile Segopolo capitalised on the contradiction and said all the witness gave the court different version of what had happened on that day, especially on how the said assault happened.

“You agree with me when I say, you saw what you saw but that contradicts what other witnesses have testified,” Segopolo asked.

The court heard that Ntsangane and Klaas wrestled for a while as Ntsangane was feeling that Klaas who was reporting to him at the time was being disrespectful and undermining his authority.

He pleaded not guilty, saying Klaas was instead the one who attacked him and that he pushed her away as she was trying to strangle him. The trial continues on Wednesday.

Source: http://www.sowetanlive.co.za