JOHANNESBURG - Free State High Court Judge Lepono Lekale has put his recovery in the hands of traditional healers.
This is despite medical doctors warning that his health is expected to deteriorate further.
Judge Lekale has been absent from judicial duties for the past eight years due to serious health complications.
But he's adamant that with the help of traditional healers, his poor eyesight will be restored.
Judges Matter’s Mbekezeli Benjamin said the law provides for acceptance of sick notes from traditional healers.
“Our law in South Africa does recognise guidance, counselling, advice from traditional doctors or traditional healers as a valid basis on which, for example, to take sick leave.
“You can take sick leave and consult a traditional healer and submit a sick note from a traditional healer. It is as valid as a Western doctor. So that is, I think, where the difficulty or the conundrum was, even during his testimony at the tribunal last week.
“The tribunal panel was asking Judge Lekale, yes, the doctors are saying that your condition seems to be permanent and it does seem to be deteriorating as time goes by, but you are saying that your traditional doctors have said that you have a prospect of getting vision soon.
“So how do we reconcile the two? And he was adamant; the judge was adamant that he believes that he will get better soon. That is what his traditional doctors are saying. And he is relying on that to say that he does believe that he suffers from incapacity, but that his condition will improve. So there is that tension, and it will be up to the tribunal to look at both sides and determine what it means for the judiciary.”