Mahlangu must pay R52 500

Former Gauteng health MEC Qedani Mahlangu, pictured, who is at the centre of the Life Esidimeni tragedy in which 141 mentally ill patients died after being transferred to unregistered NGOs, owes more than R50 000 for security upgrades to her Bedfordview house.

Gauteng Democratic Alliance member of the provincial legislature Jack Bloom said: “Security upgrades to the private home of former Gauteng health MEC Qedani Mahlangu have cost the state R356 558 – and she has not yet paid R52 558 for exceeding the R200 000 limit”.

The shadow health MEC said the anomaly was revealed by Premier David Makhura in a written reply to his questions in the Gauteng Legislature.

Makhura reportedly said R104 000 was spent on security upgrades at Mahlangu’s private residence from 2009 to 2014, and a further R252 558 thereafter.

Bloom said the MECs and former MECs whose security upgrades exceeded the R200 000 limit had been notified in writing by the premier about how much they have to pay back within a specified time frame.

Those notified in writing to pay the excess costs of security upgrades to their houses included Mahlangu, Molebatsi Bopape and Nandi Mayathula-Khoza. It was unclear why Mahlangu’s upgrade expenses were so high.

“Some of them have queried the amounts and this is being verified by auditors,” said Bloom, who will be “monitoring the situation” to ensure that they pay back the money overspent of security upgrades. – ANA