Esidimeni hearing told of rape at home

A PATIENT was allegedly raped when mentally ill patients were crammed into the Takalani home for disabled children, it emerged at the Life Esidimeni hearing yesterday.

The bombshell dropped when Section 27 advocate Adila Hassim was cross-examining suspended Gauteng Department of Health head Barney Selebano.

The doctor was asked why he had signed the affidavits that allowed the Johannesburg High Court to rule in March last year that the Gauteng department could transfer 50 mentally ill adult patients from Life Esidimeni to the Takalani Home for Disabled Children.

“There was one alleged rape at the Takalani Home centre last year after that move‚” Hassim told him. Selebano was shocked. He said the move was highly regrettable. “It’s embarrassing‚ painful, it is shameful.” Selebano’s affidavit allowed the court to rule that the move could go ahead‚ against Section 27’s legal protestations.

Selebano’s affidavit read: “I am confident that Takalani Home‚ which is in part financed by the government‚ has adequate facilities.”

This action led to the move of 1 712 Life Esidimeni patients, of whom 143 ultimately died.

Hearing judge Dikgang Moseneke said: “The applicants [Section 27] lost the case. People were compelled to stay there [at Takalani]

Moseneke said “it [Takalani] was a death trap – women were exposed to potential rape”.

Two patients also contracted typhoid at Takalani, due to a lack of hygiene.

Men and women were put together in some rooms in NGOs during the move.

Selebano could not explain why he had signed an affidavit in March telling the court everything was fine a month after he had expressed private concern about the move.

He suggested legal staff in the department had told him to sign the affidavit. He may not have “comprehended”‚ he said.

Selebano also admitted under oath that he was scared of his boss‚ former health MEC Qedani Mahlangu‚ and did not challenge her on moving patients.