Two-week run-around in bid to obtain full list of the victims’ names

FOR more than two weeks, Health-e tried to get the full list of names of the 143 people who died after the Esidimeni move.

The process was difficult as we were blocked by protocol, with officials fearing to act outside the terms of reference set out by the Life Esidimeni Arbitration Council.

The arbitrator’s office could not release the names, nor could the legal representatives of the families, as they were bound by the guiding rules.

We were advised that all information would be made public only once the process had been concluded.

We approached the health ombudsman who first investigated the deadly moves to the various NGOs.

Professor Malegapuru Makgoba told us the authority lay with the Gauteng Department of Health and, ethically, his hands were tied.

After initially promising to send us the list, Gauteng Health spokesperson Thabo Masebe backtracked after a week of wild goose chasing.

Our journalists met him at the hearing, where he told them to first get the permission of all the families and directed them to the families’ committee representative.

The representative of the family committee tried to get permission from as many families as possible, but was then told releasing the list could breach the references of the arbitration.

We have compiled a list of names we have come to know and hope to commemorate the rest of these 143 lives (or those of the final number, as this figure may grow) at a time the legal system allows. – Health-e News.