The Special Investigating Unit (SIU) has welcomed the Special Tribunal order dismissing an application by former head of Limpopo's health department Dr Thokozani Florence Mhlongo to reconsider an order authorising the unit to freeze her pension benefits.
In October last year, the SIU obtained a preservation order from the tribunal to freeze Mhlongo's pension benefits.
The tribunal also interdicted the Government Employees Pension Fund (GEPF) from paying out or transferring any benefits due to Mhlongo, pending civil action for the recovery of damages or losses suffered by the department.
Mhlongo unsuccessfully approached the Special Tribunal to reconsider the order.
In its order passed on Tuesday, the tribunal dismissed her application for the reconsideration of the order it granted on October 12 with costs, including the costs of two counsel.
“The SIU approached the Special Tribunal to freeze pension benefits of Dr Mhlongo after she resigned with immediate effect in June 2022, in the face of a disciplinary hearing, which emanated from SIU investigations in the affairs of the department relating to the procurement of personal protective equipment [PPE] in response to Covid-19 pandemic.
“Furthermore, the SIU investigation revealed that Dr Mhlongo, as the accounting officer, allegedly exposed the department to a wasteful expenditure when she authorised the procurement and payment of 10,000 cellphones to the value of R10m for Covid-19 household screening.”
The SIU said the department could only distribute 388 of the 10,000 cellphones between September 2020 and March 2021, and the cellphones were distributed without the required screening application.
“The order by the Special Tribunal is the continuation of the implementation of the SIU investigation outcomes and consequence management to recover assets and financial losses suffered by state institutions and/or to prevent further losses.
“The SIU will continue to pursue officials who resign in the face of an investigation or in the face of a disciplinary action by freezing their pension benefits and institute civil litigation to recover financial losses suffered by state institutions.”
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Former Limpopo HoD will still not get pension benefits after Special Tribunal ruling
Image: SIU
The Special Investigating Unit (SIU) has welcomed the Special Tribunal order dismissing an application by former head of Limpopo's health department Dr Thokozani Florence Mhlongo to reconsider an order authorising the unit to freeze her pension benefits.
In October last year, the SIU obtained a preservation order from the tribunal to freeze Mhlongo's pension benefits.
The tribunal also interdicted the Government Employees Pension Fund (GEPF) from paying out or transferring any benefits due to Mhlongo, pending civil action for the recovery of damages or losses suffered by the department.
Mhlongo unsuccessfully approached the Special Tribunal to reconsider the order.
In its order passed on Tuesday, the tribunal dismissed her application for the reconsideration of the order it granted on October 12 with costs, including the costs of two counsel.
“The SIU approached the Special Tribunal to freeze pension benefits of Dr Mhlongo after she resigned with immediate effect in June 2022, in the face of a disciplinary hearing, which emanated from SIU investigations in the affairs of the department relating to the procurement of personal protective equipment [PPE] in response to Covid-19 pandemic.
“Furthermore, the SIU investigation revealed that Dr Mhlongo, as the accounting officer, allegedly exposed the department to a wasteful expenditure when she authorised the procurement and payment of 10,000 cellphones to the value of R10m for Covid-19 household screening.”
The SIU said the department could only distribute 388 of the 10,000 cellphones between September 2020 and March 2021, and the cellphones were distributed without the required screening application.
“The order by the Special Tribunal is the continuation of the implementation of the SIU investigation outcomes and consequence management to recover assets and financial losses suffered by state institutions and/or to prevent further losses.
“The SIU will continue to pursue officials who resign in the face of an investigation or in the face of a disciplinary action by freezing their pension benefits and institute civil litigation to recover financial losses suffered by state institutions.”
TimesLIVE
Support independent journalism by subscribing to the Sunday Times. Just R20 for the first month.
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