Manamela tries to evade responsibility for deaths
A REMORSELESS Makgabo Manamela‚ who led the Life Esidimeni project‚ continues to evade responsibility for 143 patients dying after being moved to NGOs ill equipped to look after them.
Manamela has tried to avoid testifying‚ ignoring the first subpoena because of a date error, then asking for a postponement on the day she was to appear‚ then missing two days of testimony due to sudden sick leave.
Yesterday‚ facing arrest if she did not testify‚ she still avoided responsibility by being evasive on the stand, as described by Section 27 advocate Adila Hassim.
Manamela was one of the three Gauteng officials who led the project to move people out of Life Esidimeni homes and place them with NGOs.
Her refusal to answer questions reached a point of absurdity when she would not answer a question about what she earns while on suspension.
She even said she did not get payslips as she was suspended.
After a lengthy exchange, Hassim said: “I will tell you what your salary is, after lunch.”
Families in the overflow room broke into huge applause.
After the break‚ Hassim used government documents to show her that someone in her position would earn between R900 000 and R1-million a year.
Hassim tried to show Manamela she had responsibility for what had happened in the project‚ because she was senior, as indicated by her generous salary.
In another question‚ Hassim asked: “Did you respect mentally ill patients’ constitutional rights?” Manamela replied: “I think I did.”
Hassim then asked why 143 patients had died.
“I don’t know. There are a lot of variables you need to look at when patients die,” she said
Asked by evidence leader Nontlantla Yina if the NGOs where people died were illequipped‚ Manamela said that when she gave them the licences “they were well equipped”.
Manamela‚ then director of the Gauteng mental health directorate‚ signed licences for illequipped NGOs to take profoundly mentally ill patients because the Esidimeni homes were being shut down.
When Yina pointed out that patients at one of the NGOs had to eat leftover food from hotels and asked her if that arrangement was suitable for patients with specific dietary requirements‚ she said: “I don’t think I will answer that, counsel.”
She shouted at Hassim when asked about her PhD qualification in psychiatric nursing: “I am here to [testify] as a director‚ not because I was a nurse.”
After Manamela repeatedly refused to take responsibility for her role in approving the NGOs, hearing judge Dikgang Moseneke said: “Maybe you didn’t care.”
Manamela was forced to admit, after detailed evidence was put to her‚ that when the Life Esidimeni contract was ended in September 2015‚ there were not enough NGO or hospitals beds for the 1 712 patients in the Esidimeni homes.
She blamed officials under her for deciding NGOs were suitable after inspections. “At my level‚ I cannot go to each and every NGO [for an inspection].”
Moseneke asked why NGOs were given no money to care for patients. Manamela said payment was the finance team’s responsibility. – TimesLIVE