THE management of Takalani Home for the Mentally Disabled was back in court yesterday to apply for the removal of the administrator running the home.

THE management of Takalani Home for the Mentally Disabled was back in court yesterday to apply for the removal of the administrator running the home.

The centre in Diepkloof, Soweto, was put under the management of the Avril Elizabeth Home for the Mentally Disabled following a ruling by the Johannesburg high court last month that its management temporarily step down until the completion of a forensic investigation.

This was after Gauteng MEC for health and social development Qedani Mahlangu filed an application for the temporary removal of the board pending a probe into allegations of mismanagement of funds.

Director Lynnette van Rooyen and former chairperson Samuel George are accused of mismanaging funds meant for the home.

The management of the home appealed the court's ruling and asked for the removal of the caretaker.

The home's lawyer, Mpilo Dlamini, argued that the current administrator had brought "chaos" to the home and asked for a deadline to be set for the completion of the investigation.

He argued that the dismissal of key staff, including the social worker, matron and bookkeeper, had created havoc and asked for the appointment of another administrator.

The court ruled yesterday that the current administrator should remain and that the probe starts in a month.

Judge Majake Mabesele said Dlamini had failed to convince him that appointing a new administrator would be in the best interests of the children and patients at the home.

Mahlangu's lawyer Thabiso Mashaba denied that staff were dismissed, saying they had stepped down because they were board members.