High costs of hearing

The Gauteng government has spent R15.7 million so far on the Life Esidimeni arbitration hearings into the deaths of more than 140 mentally ill patients in Gauteng.

It expects to pay a total amount of R47 million for all the costs of this alternative dispute resolution process, the Democratic Alliance said yesterday.

This was disclosed by Gauteng Premier David Makhura in a written reply to questions in the Gauteng legislature, according to Gauteng MPL Jack Bloom.

According to figures provided in the reply, the provincial treasury had allocated R13.6 million for Esidimeni-related expenses in the financial year ending March 31, but R15.7 million was spent as at February 12, 2018, leaving a deficit of R2.1 million.

More than half the expenses was spent on the Emoyeni Conference Centre as the venue for the hearings, which cost R8.4 million.

“This is grossly excessive, bearing in mind Emoyeni is owned by the provincial government, which has an arrangement with a private company to rent it out.

“I will be asking questions on how this can be justified and who has profited from this,” Bloom said.

Other expenses included community radio stations and newspapers for the announcement for families to register for the arbitration; video production and streaming services; Werkmans Attorneys; transport services; Wits Language School for sign language and interpretation services; and recording services.