Sheriff attaches Gauteng Health bank accounts for R33.7m payment

13 September 2017

The Sheriff of the Court this morning served a Warrant of Execution on the Gauteng Health Department to attach 14 bank accounts in order to pay a total amount of R33.7 million plus 10.5% interest for late payment.

This follows the attachment of furniture more than two weeks ago from the Gauteng Health Head Office, but the department still refused to pay what was claimed.

The amounts now claimed from 14 FNB accounts relate to court-ordered payments for four medical negligence cases of children brain-damaged at birth, represented by O Joubert Attorneys.

It is shameful that the Sheriff has to resort to the extreme action of attaching bank accounts because the department refuses to comply with court orders.

We attempted negotiations with the department but no response was forthcoming.

Urgent action is needed to fix the financial woes of this department which is leading to suppliers stopping services, including Telkom which has cut the telephones at the head office and at the Bheki Mlangeni Hospital.

Issued by Jack Bloom, DA Gauteng Shadow Health MEC, 13 September 2017