Selebano blames his junior
HEARING INTO 143 PATIENTS’ DEATHS: ‘MANAMELA LED PROJECT, DIDN’T INSPECT NGOS’
He says he took her word that the plan to move patients and the NGOs were suitable.
Suspended Gauteng Health Department head Dr Barney Selebano effectively threw his underling, Dr Makgabo Manamela, under the bus yesterday, saying she led the team that carried out the botched relocation of mental patients from Life Esidimeni .
She also put pressure on the implementers to move patients to non-governmental organisations (NGOs), he told the arbitration hearing into the deaths of 143 psychiatric patients.
Selebano was testifying after his application to set aside a subpoena ordering him to appear before the hearing was dismissed on Monday. He was suspended in the wake of recommendations by health ombudsman Malegapuru Makgoba following the deaths of the 143 psychiatric patients who were transferred from Life Esidimeni to ill-equipped and unlicensed NGO facilities.
In his testimony, Selebano said Manamela, the suspended director of mental health services, and her team made a plan for how to move patients to the NGOs and his responsibility was to approve the plan.
Chairperson Dikgang Moseneke asked if the plan would have been implemented without his approval. “It can’t be, but if the managers say this is the plan, it works, you are pressured as a head of department,” he said.
He reiterated that the decision to cancel the Life Esidimeni contract was a collective one made by the provincial department. He explained that the department was financially constrained and had been told it had to give the same level of care at lower costs.
In her testimony, Manamela refused to take any blame for the deaths and kept referring to it as a “team” effort, adding that she shouldn’t be singled out. She was in charge of issuing licences to NGOs and, according to her, only one was operating without a licence. But it has emerged that several of the NGOs were unlicensed. Her duties included inspecting the facilities, but she went to only four out of 27 centres.
Moseneke asked Selebano if the NGOs were assessed before being licensed. “Manamela and her team were responsible for assessing NGOs and when the plan was presented to me, they said the NGOs were okay.”
Evidence leader Patrick Ngutshana asked where the “pressure” to get the project going emanated from. “MEC Qedani Mahlangu,” he replied.
Selebano conceded the project was rushed and that patients were sent to NGOs that had not been assessed and were not suitable. “At that time I didn’t know, I only know now that the NGOs were not fit for the purpose.” – ANA