Families wait with bated breath for Mahlangu

Life Esidimeni relatives hope to get some answers

The families of mentally ill patients who died after they were controversially moved from Life Esidimeni to ill-equipped NGOs are anxious that former MEC Qedani Mahlangu will be testifying today.

Speaking on behalf of the families, Christine Nxumalo said this on the eve of Mahlangu’s much-anticipated testimony at the Life Esidimeni arbitration hearings chaired by former deputy chief justice Dikgang Moseneke.

“The families are anxious and the fact that she is coming is good news. But we are holding our breath because it might be another scenario where she comes today or she doesn’t or there’s going to be a delay. We are expecting anything coming from Ms Mahlangu,” said Nxumalo, whose sister Virginia Machpelah died after she was transferred to Precious Angels.

She labelled Mahlangu as “not the kindest and easiest of person”.

Nxumalo said she hoped Mahlangu would reveal information that her former subordinates failed to divulge when they were testifying at the hearings taking place in Parktown, Johannesburg.

“We hope that some pieces of the puzzle that will make the picture clearer will come out than what it currently is.”

Nxumalo said Mahlangu needed to explain why the patients were moved with haste.

“We need to know why couldn’t she wait and do things properly. Why was it important that the move be done at the timeline that she gave and then lie in the process. We know finance wasn’t the real reason for the move,” she alleged.

Dr Barney Selebano, who resigned last week as head of department, on Wednesday reiterated his wish to meet family of the deceased.

Selebano’s resignation was followed by that of Dr Makgabo Manamela, the department’s head of mental health. They had been on suspension since February.

Nxumalo said she had no interest in meeting with Selebano, however, she was willing to assist other families that were prepared to meet up.

“Selebano has apologised and I don’t see what else he is going to say [to the families], unless he is going to reveal things that we need to know.”

Meanwhile, the Young Nurses Indaba Trade Union is planning to march to the Life Esidimeni arbitration hearings venue today to voice concerns over “poor quality staff uniform, textbook shortages, poor working and living conditions”.

“Student nurses had to go through a year of academic study in 2017 without textbooks, supporting theory material and practical equipment. How did we expect them to do well?” asked the union’s president Lerato Madumo-Gova.