Government departments (and Cope) get attachment orders

23 Jan 2012

The Gauteng government has denied that a sheriff was detained when she arrived at the offices of Gauteng Premier, Nomvula Mokonyane's office with an attachment order to remove furniture from the premises.

Sheriff Diana Chivelli was there with a team of 'red ants' to collect a portion of the R9,25-million owed by Mokonyane for medical costs due to be paid to a boy who suffered brain-damage as a result of abuse at a state hospital.

News24 says the South Gauteng High Court in Johannesburg ruled that Mokonyane had to pay the boy's parents, Martha and Simon almost R10m in damages. Despite the court ruling, the order was ignored. Mokonyane's spokesman, Xoli Mngambi claims that the provincial government is appealing the order.

Meanwhile, in Cape Town, Times Live reports that furniture worth R245 000, in Police Minister Nathi Mthethwa's Cape Town office was attached to cover part of the costs of civil claims against it.

The Democratic Alliance's Dianne Kohler Barnard says that the ministry had failed to pay the costs for five cases it has already lost on appeal.

Mthethwa's spokesman, Zweli Mnisi says the Department is "not aware of the attachment orders or the cases".

Times Live says that according to the 2010-11 police annual report, R11bn has been earmarked for civil claims against the police.

In a separate incident, News24 reports that the sheriff raided the Congress of the People's (Cope) Johannesburg offices to attach goods worth R82 500 following a ruling from the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration. The ruling was made after Cope had unfairly dismissed one of its employees.

Cope's secretary, Lyndall Shope-Mafole told IOL that the validity of the attachment order had to be confirmed. It was not the first time the sheriff had visited Cope's offices with an attachment order.

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