Department granted interdict to stop assets from being seized
After years of waiting Docno turned to the North Gauteng High Court in Pretoria. On February 7 this year, acting Judge AJ Malindi ruled that the department must pay Docno, plus interest at the rate of 15,5 per cent per annum
MBOMBELA – The Department of Health has been granted an interdict to prevent a travel company from seizing its moveable assets, despite owing it R2,7 million for services rendered.
Docno Travel Agents and Tours (Pty) Ltd was appointed to arrange and pay for accommodation and travelling expenses of the former MEC for health, Ms Dikeledi Mahlangu, and the VIP protection team from 2009 to 2011. Docno subsequently billed the department for R2,7 million.
In a document dated June 8, 2012, the department sent a notice to Docno which read, “This serves to confirm that Docno Travel Agent and Tours had outstanding payments of R2 700 000 from 2009 to 2011. The department could not make such payment timeously due to the fact that there was an investigation that was conducted by Internal Audit for validation of the outstanding payments as required by the Public Finance Management Act, 1999.”
After years of waiting Docno turned to the North Gauteng High Court in Pretoria. On February 7 this year, acting Judge AJ Malindi ruled that the department must pay Docno, plus interest at the rate of 15,5 per cent per annum.
It was reported in other media that the sheriff of the court consequently seized up to 41 vehicles of the department in order to settle this debt. Spokesman for the department, Mr Dumisane Malamule, would not confirm this or answer Lowvelder‘s questions.
All he was willing to divulge was, “We have been granted a stay of execution on the attached vehicles. However, the department cannot comment further as the matter is being handled through the court.”
