Health
1Min
South Africa
Nov 18, 2025
Gauteng Premier, Panyaza Lesufi has welcomed the Labour Court ruling which has overturned suspended Department of Health HOD, Lesiba Malotana’s bid to overturn his precautionary suspension.
Gauteng Premier, Panyaza Lesufi has welcomed the Labour Court ruling which has overturned suspended Department of Health HOD, Lesiba Malotana’s bid to overturn his precautionary suspension.
This week, Malotana was dealt a blow after the Labour Court dismissed his attempts to overturn his precautionary suspension. Malotana, was placed on precautionary suspension by Lesufi last month following a damning report by the Special Investigating Unit (SIU).
According to media reports there had been calls for Lesufi to remove Malotana from his position after the SIU’s decision to probe two questionable contracts within the department, in which Malotana is implicated.
The contracts under investigation involve the supply and delivery of three-division plastic containers with lids, small tubs with lids, dual-surface polyester film, orthopaedic implants, fracture treatment, and arthroscopy items.
He subsequently took the matter to the Labour Court earlier this month in a bid to challenge and overturn the decision, arguing that Lesufi acted outside the scope of his contract and the Public Service Act when he placed him on precautionary suspension.
However, his attempts did not succeed and on Tuesday, Lesufi in a statement welcomed this outcome after the court dismissed this bid with costs and set aside his precautionary suspension.
Lesufi said Judge Benita Whitcher’s judgement confirms that Malotana’s suspension by the Premier as the Head of Department (HOD) for the Gauteng Department of Health was both lawful and rational.
On the 13th of October 2025, Premier Panyaza Lesufi suspended Malotana as Head of Department (HOD). This followed a comprehensive evaluation of his professional conduct, the results of a lifestyle audit, and a report from the Special Investigating Unit (SIU).
“The SIU report presented substantive evidence of possible serious misconduct, making a compelling case for a thorough forensic investigation," the Premier said.
In her ruling, Judge Whitcher found that the SIU report contained "believable allegations of serious misconduct" and revealed "a strong, initial case.
The judge also found that suspending the applicant was "the only logical and rational outcome" based on the evidence, as there was a real risk that the HOD could use his position to influence the investigation if he remained at work.
The Premier indicated that the allegations would "undoubtedly cause serious public concern about the integrity of the Office of the HOD" if he were to remain in his position. "The provincial government remains steadfast in its commitment to the highest standards of governance.
“We have a responsibility to safeguard the integrity of our departments, particularly those as critical as the Department of Health. This ruling reinforces our resolve to ensure that the government operates with transparency, ethics, and efficiency. We will not tolerate any actions that undermine public trust or hinder our ability to deliver quality services to the people of Gauteng,” he said.
