Kantha Padayachee said at the time she was escorted out of the department building she felt "totally worthless".
|||Durban - The Health Department legal adviser who says she was suspended because she exposed irregularities relating to the “Amigos” matter has told how she was humiliated and dehumanised on the day she was ordered to leave.
“I was advised not to take any department property, I was given very limited time to gather my personal things and I was escorted right into my vehicle from the building,” said Kantha Padayachee.
The legal services general manager was giving evidence on Thursday at the Labour Court in her case to have her three-year suspension overturned
Padayachee was suspended in February 2010 and charged by the department with seven counts of misconduct.
This came the day after she had met a Hawks detective investigating a multimillion-rand tender to supply water purification plants to the Health Department. The investigation had led to the corruption case involving Uruguayan businessman Gaston Savoi, owner of Intaka Holdings, the company awarded the water purification tender.
In the case several senior KwaZulu-Natal government officials were charged with money laundering, racketeering and fraud.
Charges against ANC politicians Peggy Nkonyeni and Mike Mabuyakhulu have since been withdrawn.
On Thursday in court, Padayachee said at the time she was escorted out of the department building she felt “totally worthless”, describing the incident as embarrassing.
“The net effect of this was that I had to defend myself against derogatory statements and incur legal costs to defend myself,” she said.
She had been forced to cash in her daughter’s education policy to meet legal costs to defend herself against a “malicious”’ attack, she said.
She had chosen to challenge the suspension to clear her name for her own personal and professional advancement.
“I have also suffered a setback to my health. During the past three years I have been hospitalised at least three times because of medical conditions that my physician says were largely due to stress.”
The hearing continues in five months, when Padayachee is expected to be cross-examined by the legal representative of the respondents, the MEC for health and department head, Sibongile Zungu.
Padayachee has also asked the court to interdict the department and Zungu from continuing with disciplinary action against her.
Daily News