GRIP DOCTOR SACKED - Ema van Wyk
Lowvelder 21 MAY 2002
NELSPRUIT - The Mpumalanga health department yesterday claimed that sacked Rob Ferreira Hospital superintendent, Dr Thys Von Mollendorff, was informed of his appeal hearing but declined to testify.
Mr. Dumisani John Mlangeni, spokesman for MEC Sibongile Manana, yesterday said "he (Von Mollendorff) declined to testify during the appeal process."
Mlangeni was unable to say when Von Mollendorff was asked to testify or provide the date on which he was asked by the department to appear before the public service appeal hearing committee.
On Friday Von Mollendorff was informed by the health department that he had lost his appeal. Yesterday he declined Mlangeni's claims.
"We launched the appeal on March 1. We have written letters and made numerous phone calls but have never been given a date for the hearing" he said, stating that he had been at home during the past two-and-a-half months and could therefore easily have been reached by the department.
He was first dismissed in February after he was found guilty of misconduct for allowing the Greater Nelspruit Rape Intervention Project (Grip) to occupy a rape care room at the hospital.
Struggling to get a date for his hearing, Von Mollendorff then applied for a conciliation meeting before the Public Service Co-ordinating Bargaining Council (PSCBC).
It was at this meeting on Friday that he was informed by the department that he had lost his appeal. He was also informed that he could not claim unfair dismissal and ask for a conciliation if he had not finally been dismissed.
In a statement on Friday the department claimed its decision to dismiss Von Mollendorff had "nothing to do with the matter on anti-retroviral drugs".
According to Von Mollendorff, though, anti-retroviral drugs, which Grip has supplied to rape survivors while operating from the care room, played a major role in the discussion during his disciplinary hearing.
Over the weekend the Democratic Alliance called on the health department and Manana to reverse Von Mollendorff's dismissal.
According to Ms Sandy Kalyan, spokesman for the DA, Von Mollendorff's dismissal amounted to "nothing more than a witch-hunt."
Mr. Eric Louw, legal representative for Von Mollendorff, said if the case is not resolved after the conciliation it will be taken to the Labour Court.
