ANOTHER SHERIFF CONFRONTATION WITH GAUTENG PREMIER

Last week on Friday morning (27 January) the Sheriff of the court arrived at the offices of Gauteng Premier Nomvula Mokonyane to attach furniture in execution of a court order to pay R6.3 million to a man who lost a leg through hospital negligence.

This is the second time in two weeks that the Sheriff has had to enforce a court order that has been ignored by the premier.

On 18 January her officials scrambled to pay the R1 million that her office furniture is valued at before it was removed to pay court-ordered medical damages of R9.25 million to 12-year-old Prince Sibusiso Khanyi who became brain-damaged when he was born at the Pholosong Hospital.

In the present case, the premier ignored a North Gauteng High Court order granted on 5 September last year to pay R6.3 million to Mr Shabbier Nagel who had a leg amputated when he went for heart surgery at the Steve Biko Academic Hospital in Pretoria.

The premier's legal advisors were caught flat-footed on Friday when the Sheriff arrived, and negotiated with him for most of the morning until agreement was reached that they would pay the full amount by Friday 3 February 2012.

The delay in payment at 15.5% interest has added an extra R320 000 to be paid by the Gauteng Provincial Government. This could have been saved with prompt payment.

It's really shameful that the premier has delayed in paying yet another court order until the Sheriff arrived at her office door to attach furniture.

Mokonyane should fire her incompetent legal advisors and issue strict instructions that the law must be obeyed speedily in all cases.

Statement issued by Jack Bloom MPL, DA Gauteng Caucus Leader, January 29 2012

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