NGO head grilled at Esidimeni inquiry

He ‘wasn’t aware of the full details’ around deaths

DENIALS and assertions of not knowing the full details are all that a manager at one of the NGOs where psychiatric patients died after they were relocated there from Life Esidimeni facilities could yesterday offer the hearings into the deaths.

Nwagu Rasidzoge, a facilities unit manager at the Cullinan Care and Rehabilitation Centre (CCRC) in Tshwane, appeared before retired deputy chief justice Dikgang Moseneke to shed light on the conditions of mortuaries at the NGO. Rasidzoge insisted that the mortuary was not in a poor condition despite letters before the arbitration indicating otherwise.

Rasidzoge wrote letters to the Gauteng Department of Infrastructure and Development asking that they come and repair the mortuary urgently due to a gas leak.

He also wrote another letter to Mamelodi Hospital, requesting they take care of the corpses at his centre as the refrigeration wasn’t functioning properly.

Rasidzoge said the letter to the department was routine and there was no emergency. He could not explain why the department had to pay for overtime during the repairs.

An exasperated Moseneke said: “You are contradicting your own writings. Why are you doing this to us? How do you explain that? Why do you say different things than those written down?”

But Rasidzoge admitted the mortuary was small as it had three refrigeration cabinets, but denied there were corpses placed on the floor.

But this contradicted Anna Mthembu, who previously told the tribunal that when she went to identify her sister Busisiwe Shabalala at the mortuary, her body was on the floor covered in a sheet. She also testified that the room was not cold.

Shabalala died from hypothermia and severe dehydration 32 days after being admitted to the centre.

Rasidzoge also denied that Joseph Gumede’s body had decomposed when he handed it over to the Mamelodi Hospital mortuary.

Last month, Gumede’s sister Ntombifuthi Dhladhla testified that she had found her brother’s corpse seven months after he died. He was so decomposed that there were maggots coming out of his body.

Rasidzoge also said he was unaware whether the mortuary had an operating certificate. “It was brought to my attention and I had to look for one they used to have before.” He has still not found the certificate.

Rasidzoge insisted his evidence was the truth.

Suspended Gauteng director of mental health Dr Makgabo Manamela was expected to appear to give evidence today.

On Tuesday, she failed to appear, citing an illness, and Moseneke said that if she didn’t appear today, a warrant of arrest against her would be issued.