Former Gauteng Health MEC Qedani Mahlangu and the former head of the Mental Health Directorate, Makgabo Manamela, are among people the court says should be held accountable for their part in the tragedy.
JOHANNESBURG - After months of gruelling testimonies at the Life Esidimeni inquest, the Pretoria High Court has handed down a scathing judgment about the complicity of some government officials in the deaths of 144 mental health patients.
At the time of the tragedy, Mahlangu cited poor finances for the contentious decision to terminate its longstanding contract with Life Esidimeni. He further told the court that government had mulled calls to buy the Life Esidimeni facilities as an alternative to moving patients, adding that at least R100 million could have been channeled to make a purchase offer to Life Esidimeni that year.In the absence of what the Health Department thought was a viable option, the Marathon Project went full steam ahead, except what should have been undertaken in at least five years, was done hurriedly in less than a year.
Between March and August 2016, the transfer of patients began, in a manner best described as careless, callous and inhumane. Effectively, the judge said that Mahlangu and Manamela both failed to prevent the catastrophe that unfolded, even in instances when they could have intervened.At the time of the drawn-out inquest, which followed the arbitration proceedings, government officials played the blame game, all pointing the finger at each other.
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