Former Gauteng MEC for health Qedani Mahlangu's legal representatives have told the Life Esidimeni hearings that she would be willing to come testify in January 2018.

The arbitration hearings started more than an hour late on Friday as her legal representatives met with arbitration chair former deputy chief justice Dikgang Moseneke and the legal representatives for Section27, Legal Aid, Solidarity, the evidence leaders and the State.

Mahlangu's legal representative told the hearings that Mahlangu would only be available to testify in January when she is expected to finish a module for her masters of business administration at the University of Bedfordshire in the UK.

Earlier this week, the university said it had suspended Mahlangu over "the severity of the allegations" against her, but her legal representative told the hearings on Friday that it had regarded the suspension as wrongful and unlawful and was planning to challenge it.

Mahlangu's representatives said she would be available to testify between January 22 and 26, 2018.