WARNING: This is Version 1 of my old archive, so Photos will NOT work and many links will NOT work. But you can find articles by searching on the Titles. There is a lot of information in this archive. Use the SEARCH BAR at the top right. Prior to December 2012; I was a pro-Christian type of Conservative. I was unaware of the mass of Jewish lies in history, especially the lies regarding WW2 and Hitler. So in here you will find pro-Jewish and pro-Israel material. I was definitely WRONG about the Boeremag and Janusz Walus. They were for real.
Original Post Date: 2008-12-11 Time: 00:00:06 Posted By: Jan
Political parties in KwaZulu-Natal on Wednesday said they were not surprised by the arrest of the province’s health MEC, Neliswa “Peggy” Nkonyeni, on corruption charges.
Both the Democratic Alliance and the Inkatha Freedom Party agreed that there was “unscrupulous activity” within the department, which “should not be ignored”.
DA provincial spokesperson for health Margaret Ambler-Moore questioned the reaction of the health department to Nkonyeni’s court appearance.
Health department spokesperson Leon Mbangwa on Tuesday said Nkonyeni was the political head and had nothing to do with administration issues.
He said those matters were dealt with by the accounting officer.
“Who does the accounting officer report to at the end of the day?” said Moore.
She said one of the “trappings and privileges” that came with being an MEC was “responsibility and accountability”.
Nkonyeni was arrested on Wednesday and was told by the Pietermaritzburg Regional Court that she would remain in police custody until bail of R10 000 was paid.
She had apparently been linked to a flawed tendering process and inflated costs of procurement.
Nkonyeni appeared with accused Lindelihle Mkhwanazi, owner of Rowmoor Investments, a company which won a R1,5-million tender from the health department.
He and a third accused, Mduduzi Ntshangase, both of Richards Bay, were also granted bail of R10 000.
The case was postponed to 22 January for further investigation.
Scorpions investigator Clarence Jones alleged in an affidavit that Rowmoor charged the department R1,5-million for a mammogram machine – used to scan for breast cancer – which could have been bought for R425 000.
In April this year, National Prosecuting Authority spokesperson Tlali Tlali told Sapa the province’s health department was being investigated, and that a missing mammogram machine was found in the office of former head of department Busi Nyembezi.
Following the disappearance of the machine a case was initially opened with police. The mammogram device and other documentation were subsequently confiscated by the NPA, and Nyembezi was suspended amid allegations of fraud.
On Wednesday, state advocate Hein van der Merwe told regional magistrate Dries van Vuuren that the only condition he wanted imposed on the accused was that they should not contact certain members of the procurement section of the province’s health department.
Van der Merwe said Nkonyeni and Mkhwanazi were to be charged with contraventions of the Corruption Act.
Mkhwanazi and Ntshangase were also to be charged with fraud, while Ntshangase faced a further charge under the Public Finance Management Act.
Nkonyeni, dressed in a black suit, was warmly greeted by colleagues, well-wishers and supporters in court.
The courtroom was jammed with journalists, court staff and onlookers.
The MEC’s supporters broke out in song and chanted in protest against what they perceived as the delay to the start of court proceedings.
Defence lawyers said the accused could afford bail.
Health department spokesperson Chris Maxon said Nkonyeni would continue her duties as MEC.
“She has not been charged yet… and she is presumed innocent until proven guilty… When we got to court today, the prosecution was playing another ball game, saying they are not charging anyone with anything, but on 22 January they may place charges.” – Sapa
Source: http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?art_id=nw20081210133932220C413854