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Noakes hearing will run longer than expected - defence team

Cape Town - It was unlikely that proceedings against Professor Tim Noakes by the Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA) would be completed by Tuesday as planned, his legal team said on Friday.

Adam Pike said proceedings would "definitely" run longer than expected and most likely only conclude late next week.

The hearing had been set down for seven days after Noakes was charged with unprofessional conduct following a complaint to the HPCSA.

Earlier this year, Noakes, in a Twitter posting, advised a mother to wean her child on to low carbohydrate, high fat foods - commonly abbreviated as LCHF.

The tweet read: "Baby doesn't eat the dairy and cauliflower. Just very healthy high fat breast milk. Key is to ween [sic] baby on to LCHF."

According to the HPCSA, Noakes acted in a manner not in accordance with the norms and standards of the profession by providing "unconventional advice on breast feeding babies".

The HPCSA was expected to call five witnesses. By Friday, only four had testified.

Noakes's team planned to call on testimony from two international experts - New Zealand dietitian Caryn Zinn and Canadian professor Stephen Cunnane. Noakes was also expected to testify.

Pike confirmed Noakes’s legal team – Michael van der Nest SC and Ravin Ramdass – were representing Noakes pro bono and the delay was frustrating.

The HPCSA was paying for the hearing.

Earlier this week, HPSCA chairperson Joan Adams said proceedings were already costing the HPCSA "hundreds of thousands of rands" and the delay could result in an eventual total of R1m.

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