Department admits mental illness facilities ‘bad’

There was a case where a mentally disabled woman in Soweto was raped

THE Social Development Department has admitted it is keeping hundreds of mentally ill patients in facilities that are in a “very bad” state.

Appearing before the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) on Friday, Social Development’s three top officials were also grilled over why the department co-operated so poorly with other departments.

Bongani Majola, the SAHRC’s chairperson, questioned the officials about the state of centres in which it was keeping mentally ill patients.

He said NGOs that appeared before the commission in November revealed their facilities were “in a very bad state”.

“Is there substance in the observations of the NGOs?” Majola asked.

Manthipi Molamu, director responsible for policy on disability, replied: “There is substance because the NGOs are implementing and they are there on a daily basis. But mostly, the contributing factor could be the inadequacy of funding we provide.

“NGOs are not able to actually make money with the meagre budget we give them. But that also doesn’t give them the right to abuse or neglect people in those facilities,” he said.

The SAHRC launched its National Investigative Hearings on the Status of Mental Health Care in SA following the Life Esidimeni tragedy, which claimed 144 patients’ lives.

Molamu, the department’s deputy director-general Mzolisi ka Toni, and acting director-general Nelisiwe Vilakazi were subpoenaed to appear.

The commission said the department had snubbed it despite numerous attempts to get its submissions.

Vilakazi apologised to the commission. “That’s not how we do business, but thank you for accepting our apology,” she told Majola.

Bokankatla Malatji, an SAHRC commissioner, lambasted the department for its failure to co-operate with relevant departments in running facilities looking after the mentally ill.

“We’re concerned,” he said. “In inspections we conduct, we find – and we’ve got evidence – that there’s still a lack of co-operation between yourselves and the Department of Health.

“There is a school that I personally conducted inspection in loco at. St Benedict, in Polokwane.

“We found that authorities at that school were blaming lack of co-operation between your department and the Department of Health.

“There were no nurses, no psychiatrists there.”

Angie Makwetla, another commissioner, also complained about poor co-operation between social development and other pertinent departments.

She said: “We don’t seem to be seeing this co-operation. We have situations where I sit in my office and I throw my hands up in despair because I’ve tried the Department of Social Development and it says its Health.”

Toni conceded that collaboration with other departments needed to be improved. Work to achieve this was proceeding, he said.

“For now we do accept that there are still weaknesses. It’s gradual work. I know that sometimes it’s frustrating because we’re moving too slow. But we’re appealing for patience,” said Toni.

Majola quizzed the officials about the working relationship between their department and police.

Toni replied: “It’s an area that we need to strengthen. Previously, there was a case where a mentally disabled woman in Soweto was raped. The police did not how to take a statement.

“So we had started to work with the security cluster so that we talk to the police and justice system.

“It’s an area we’re reminded that we need to strengthen, so we don’t have a situation where people are not getting justice.”