‘I want truth on Esidimeni’

Government officials and NGOs were seemingly protecting themselves in order to stay out of jail, said Christine Nxumalo, whose sister Virginia Machapela died at NGO Precious Angels, adding that she was hoping to hear the truth about the Life Esidimeni tragedy yesterday.

Nxumalo is one of the victims’ family members testifying on the third week of the arbitration hearing chaired by retired Justice Dikgang Moseneke.

“Our understanding, when we got onto the arbitration, was that we would get answers, but all officials have not offered any answers … and that makes me angry. What they did rather was to protect themselves. We’re in the third week now and we are exactly where we were when this arbitration started,” she said.

“I was hoping Ethel Ncube [owner of Precious Angels] would not come here and cry crocodile tears, but offer the truth on what happened to my sister … and why she lied about the date of death … not to come here and cry feeling sorry for herself. [Gauteng health department’s chief director of planning Levy] Mosenogi did not say anything either, he was project leader, but said nothing.”

Nxumalo said the arbitration was supposed to start the healing process, but the fact that there were no answers was not helping.

She said the heads of NGOs like Ncube should “stop telling us what they think we need to hear”, and admit that they did not have the expertise to care for or feed the patients.

Advocate Adila Hassim, who represented over 50 families of Esidimeni victims on behalf of rights organisation Section 27, asked her if she wanted to hear from any other government official.

“I want to hear from [Gauteng’s director of mental health Dr Makgabo] Manamela and [former health MEC] Qedani Mahlangu. She needs to come testify and tell us what happened, she signed off all of these as MEC, and the former HOD [Barney Selebano] … even with us protesting they went ahead and moved the patients,” Nxumalo said. – ANA

I was hoping Ethel Ncube [owner of Precious Angels] would not come here and cry crocodile tears.

Christine Nxumalo Sister of Esidimeni victim