Outstanding and disputed documents dominated proceedings at another Nkandla disciplinary hearing in Durban on Thursday.

The hearing for department of public works employee Jayshree Pardesi was adjourned to July 18, 19 and 20 after both parties agreed more documents had to be furnished.

Appearing before chairperson Advocate Thulani Khuzwayo at the department offices at Liberty Buildings in the city, department lawyer Clement Kulati initially asked for a postponement.

Pardesi’s attorney, Adrian Moodley explained to Khuzwayo that several key documents, some of them labelled secret, were not handed to them by the state's legal team.

According to Moodley, he was not given a vital letter from October 2010 that authorised the deviation from the prescribed tender process.

He added that annexures of the Bid Adjudication Committee (BAC) meeting from June 15‚ 2010, where a recommendation was made for a negotiated process to be used to employ Makhanya, were not available to him.

Khuzwayo thereafter agreed and began arranging an adjournment date.

According to Kulati‚ he had sought the documents from the department and the Special Investigating Unit (SIU). He said neither could provide him with it.

The disciplinary hearings involve 12 public works officials accused of wrongdoing in the R246-million upgrade to President Jacob Zuma's Nkandla homestead.

During the last hearings, lawyers for one of the 12, Rakesh Dhaniram, asked for various documents, including audio recordings from the SIU.

The officials involved in the Nkandla project are being investigated following recommendations in an SIU report.

According to the document, Dhaniram and others flouted the open tender procedures in approving emergency building and civil works. The alleged deviation in procurement cost the government millions in irregular expenditure.

In her 2014 report, 'Secure in Comfort', former public protector Thuli Madonsela found Zuma and his family unduly benefitted from the so-called security upgrades to his Nkandla homestead.

Zuma ignored her recommendation that he repay what was spent on upgrades not related to security. The Economic Freedom Fighters took the matter to the Constitutional Court. On March 31, 2016, it ordered Treasury to determine how much Zuma should repay.

In June last year, Treasury said Zuma had to repay R7.8-million.

He paid the money in September, with a loan from VBS Mutual Bank.