Special tribunal to hear application to stop payment of former NW health head's pension

The Special Tribunal of South Africa will on Thursday hear an urgent application brought by the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) for the halt to the payment of the pension of former head of the North West health department Dr Andrew Lekalakala.

The special tribunal was established by President Cyril Ramaphosa last year to fast-track the finalisation of matters that the SIU refers for civil litigation after conclusion of its investigations.

In December last year, Lekalakala appeared in the Molopo magistrate’s court. His appearance followed his arrest by the Hawks, which said this stemmed from an investigation into the alleged fraudulent appointment of Cureva, which was later known as Mediosa, as a service provider of mobile clinics to service rural areas in North West.

Lekalakala was arrested on charges of fraud, corruption and contravention of the Public Finance Management Act.

The North West provincial legislature recommended in 2018 that he be suspended for his role in a premature R30m payment to Mediosa. When he was arrested in December last year, the Hawks said it was alleged that Mediosa was appointed by Lekalakala without following proper tender procedures.

“Instead, he allegedly signed a service level agreement while on a trip in India. It transpired that a family member and friends allegedly accompanied him on the trip, which was funded by Mediosa,” Hawks spokesperson Brig Hangwani Mulaudzi said.

Lekalakala has since been dismissed as head of department.

The SIU approached the special tribunal on the basis that his pension of about R2m should not be paid out to him, as it wants details on the various contracts amounting to R30m that he allegedly authorised without following procedures. The tribunal has the power to adjudicate upon any civil proceedings brought before it by the SIU, in its own name or on behalf of a state institution or any interested party as defined by the regulations, emanating from the investigation by the SIU.

Such civil proceedings will be based on the outcomes of the investigations.