Deaths of the 118 was incompetence
Ombudsman Makgoba says former MEC ‘clueless’
WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 11 2017
THE deaths of 118 mental patients was as a result of gross incompetence coupled with former Gauteng Health MEC Qedani Mahlangu “being clueless” about what she was doing, Ombudsman Malegapuru Makgoba told a hearing in Parktown, Johannesburg.
In May last year Mahlangu ordered the transfer of the patients from Life Esidimeni to 27 other non-government organisations.
“I think there was just general incompetence across the system. Warning signals were there, but the department was not ready in a proper way,” said Makgoba.
The health ombudsman was under cross-examination from lawyer Dirk Groenewald, representing three families whose relatives died in the Esidimeni saga.
Retired Justice Dikgang Moseneke asked Makgoba what could have driven Mahlangu to go ahead with moving patients that led to so many deaths, given that she warned of the danger of her actions.
“What was she doing? What drove her in the face of all warnings by experts, clinical departments, families, even by project managers – and she still pushed through when the risks appeared so ominous? What was it? Did she tell you what drove her so hard to want to do what turned out so fatal?” asked Moseneke.
Makgoba said MahIangu simply never understood the magnitude of the problem.
“I do not think she knew how big this matter was. I tried to find out from her what actually happened and what controls she set up. All I could gather was that this whole thing was not planned properly. There were no proper processes,” said Makgoba.
Makgoba testified that the department never bothered to inform families to where patients were being transferred. Those who found out about the transfers and requested information about the whereabouts of their loved ones were ignored.
One parent, a reverend, found out a year later about his son’s location only because the patient called him to wish him a happy birthday, he said.
“For over a year Reverend Mabuya did not know where his son was transferred to, until, by coincidence, Billy called him on his birthday, and that was when he knew where he was. He then went to see him and bought him KFC, and as I testified yesterday, Billy was sohungry he ate the KFC and the paper bag covering it. This was a serious human rights violation.”
One patient died and his sister did not know for three weeks until she received a call from a NGO.
“They asked her if they should bury the brother or whether the family would come collect his body. Fom this you can see that the families were not treated with common courtesy, human dignity and respect.
“Importantly, these are embedded in our Constitution – to treat people with respect, it is one of the pillars of our Constitution. But it did not occur in relation to the relatives and families.” – ANA