VISIT NOT PRIVATE AT ALL, SAYS PUBLIC PROTECTOR - Mariana Balt
Lowvelder 6 MARCH 2003
The MEC for health, Ms Sibongile Manana’s allegation that the public protector`s visit to her on Tuesday February 25, was a private one, is indeed untrue and all role players are holding their breath to see what will happen in the High Court in Johannesburg today.
Yesterday Mr Lawrence Mushwana confirmed to Lowvelder that the meeting with Manana was by no means a private one and that it had been arranged by their respective offices some weeks before, for the express purpose of discussing the Grip issue.
A subsequent meeting was held with Grip on Thursday February 27.
According to the office of the public protector, the MEC agreed and undertook to seek settlement of her matter with Grip out of court to avoid an escalation of costs. Although she reiterated yesterday that she was proceeding to settle the matter and had instructed her attorneys accordingly, at the time of going to press, Grip’s representative, Ms Anita Kleinschmidt of the Aids Law Project, confirmed that they had not received any notification of such a decision.
Manana’s case against Grip is supposed to proceed in the High Court today. Kleinschmidt said yesterday that it was possible that the health department might just not defend their case further. Otherwise the court would be requested to dismiss the matter.
Back home, it is known that Manana, who did recently try to arrange a private meeting with Grip CEO, Ms Barbara Kenyon, did so under the pretence of it being a meeting to introduce her to the ANC Women’s League.
