Health MEC denies ‘sitting on his hands’ in sex abuse claim
THE KwaZulu-Natal health department has denied claims that nothing was done to address allegations of sexual abuse at a centre for mentally ill people in Durban that it funds.
The department said, following an oversight visit to Durban and Coastal Mental Health on Wednesday by the DA’s health spokesperson, Dr Imran Keeka, that he was continuing to “peddle misinformation that results in tarnishing the images of hard-working organisations and their personnel”.
Health MEC Sibongiseni Dhlomo said Keeka had been informed at his meeting at the facility on Wednesday that a family member of a patient had raised an allegation of sexual abuse, and that social workers and management had intervened.
He said a medical exam had been done, a case had been opened with the police, but the National Prosecuting Authority had declined to prosecute and the case was closed.
“The family then took the matter to the Commission for Gender Equality, which also closed the investigation on the basis of insufficient evidence. After all this, the family member of the (alleged) victim did not take any further action and decided to keep her sister in the facility,” Dhlomo said.
He accused Keeka of being a sensationalist.
During his visit to the centre yesterday, Dhlomo said the Mental Health Review Board had visited and investigated the complaints.
He said the allegations had been brought to his attention about a month ago, but, by then, the heads of department for social development and health, Nokuthula Khanyile and Dr Musa Gumede respectively, were already investigating.
He said the matter was sensitive and he awaited the outcome of the investigation.
Keeka questioned why Dhlomo had not visited the facility previously. “It is typical of him to wait for things to happen, and (he) does not ensure that there are preventative means in place… he sits on his hands, and when matters get out of hand, then he decides to respond,” he said.
Keeka said he had written to the centre’s executive director, Gita Harie, requesting an update on the latest sexual assault allegation reported on Wednesday.
“It is reasonable they should have concluded the examination by yesterday or early this morning and the results should be available. She was unable to provide them.”
A spokesperson for the Durban and Coastal Mental Health board said it was coincidental that the allegations came at a time when there were disgruntled employees in the organisation, some of whom had recently been the subject of disciplinary proceedings.