Gauteng Legal Head Paid R4.7 Million While Sitting at Home Since 2019, SA Says It’s “Beyond Disgusting”

• Gauteng Health Department Chief Director of Legal Services has been paid R4.7 million while not being at work
• Advocate Mpelegeng Lebeloane has received the payouts from July 2019 after irregularities in her appointment were found
• Gauteng Democratic Alliance (DA) Shadow MEC of Health Jack Bloom said he was appalled by the revelation

GAUTENG - Despite not doing any work, Gauteng Health Department Chief Director of Legal Services Advocate Mpelegeng Lebeloane has been paid R4.7 million. A Public Service Commission (PSC) report found irregularities in her appointment; therefore, she has been off work.

Lebeloane received the payouts between July 2019 to September 2022. Health MEC Nomathemba Mokgethi confirmed that she was being paid in a written reply to the Gauteng Legislature.

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According to News24, the commission recommended the health department apply to the Labour Court to set aside Lebeloane’s transfer from the Department of Water and Sanitation to the Health Department. Despite the department making the application in 2020, the advocate opposed it.

Mokgethi said the matter would be before the court in 2023. She said while the department wants the matter resolved urgently, it is up to the court’s process and outside the department’s control.

Gauteng Democratic Alliance (DA) Shadow MEC of Health Jack Bloom, who questioned Mokgethi about Lebeloane, said he was appalled by the revelation. He said the enormous sum of money for a “botched appointment” could have paid for 10 senior nurses for a year.

Bloom said the department’s mismanagement had wasted money that should have been used to provide better care for hospital patients, IOL reported. He added that the DA’s policy of a merit-based public service is needed to fix the ailing department.

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Citizens angered by revelation:

@PatrickNicholl3 said:

“Why are we not surprised? The deeper you dig the more it is exposed how much money this government will waste on enriching their comrades in this over-bloated corrupt government.

@SonSocialist commented:

“Gauteng Health Department is rotten.”

@Daph67955823 added:

“This is beyond disgusting and millions are starving and living worse than pigs.”

DA calls for Gauteng health MEC to answer questions about Tembisa hospital corruption

In a related matter, Briefly News also reported the Democratic Alliance in Gauteng wants Health MEC Nomathemba Mokgethi to respond to the allegations related to corruption at the Tembisa Hospital. The matter was raised in June.

The political party’s Shadow MEC for Health Jack Bloom is due to question the MEC around an investigation conducted by News24.

The investigation uncovers how whistleblower Babita Deokara noted a dodgy payment from Tembisa Hospital before she was shot and killed.

Source: Briefly News