Law Society should decide whether law firm overcharged Gauteng Health Department

15 August 2019

The Gauteng Health Department is stubbornly resisting a simple solution to possible gross overcharging of R103 million by Ngcebetsha Madlanga Attorneys (NMA) which can be done by referring it to the Law Society to determine.

According to Gauteng Health MEC Bandile Masuku in a written reply to my questions in the Gauteng Legislature, this matter has been referred to the Special Investigating Unit (SIU), but they have not finalized their investigation.

In a further twist in this saga, NMA is suing the Department for R14 790 720 which it claims it is owed.

My concern is that the SIU is overwhelmed with cases and is unlikely to conclude in the near future.

NMA charged the Department R103 million from October 2014 to September 2017. This included R174 000 for legal advice to terminate the Life Esidimeni contract, and they were also used to oppose the two court applications that tried to stop the transfer of mental health patients to unsuitable NGOs where 144 patients died.

I am suspicious as they got massive payments when Qedani Mahlangu was Health MEC, and NMA were her personal lawyers until shortly before she was called to testify at the Esidimeni Arbitration Hearings.

Former Health MEC Gwen Ramokgopa had said that there should be a “detailed review” into the work done by NMA for the Department.

I agree that the SIU should investigate this whole matter, but the quickest way to recover money for any inflated bills is to refer it to the Law Society for scrutiny.

Issued by Jack Bloom, DA Gauteng Shadow Health MEC, 15 August 2019