Families of Life Esidimeni victims say justice has been served

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The families of the victims of the Life Esidimeni tragedy say they are relieved justice has been served. This after the inquest judgment was delivered by Judge Mmonoa Teffo virtually on Wednesday.

The inquest was opened after the deaths of 144 mental healthcare users in 2016.

The aim was to establish who was responsible for the tragedy.

Judge Teffo found that negligence by former Gauteng Health MEC Qedani Mahlangu and former Gauteng Mental Health Head, Dr Makgabo Manamela, led to the deaths of some patients.

Christine Nxumalo, who lost her sister Virginia Makapela in the tragedy, says she is relieved that justice has finally been served.

“I have no words, I am so emotional, it’s been a long wait. Everything that we have been saying, the warnings, the attempts to stop the investigations, everything that we tried to do was exactly what the judge said.”

“Had they only listened and paused, we wouldn’t be sitting here right now. These were human beings, vulnerable human beings and if the system doesn’t protect them who else will,” adds Nxumalo.

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Meanwhile, the non-profit organisation Section27 says the inquest judgment is an important step towards accountability.

Section27 CEO Sasha Stevenon says they welcome the judgment.

“Judge Teffo noted that Ms. Mahlangu negligently terminated the Life Esidimeni contract despite expert advice and warnings, resulting in mental healthcare users being moved to NGOs that were ill-equipped and insufficiently experienced to care for them.”

“This conduct, Judge Teffo stated, led to deaths that could have been avoided. Judge Teffo further stated that Dr Manamela hastily facilitated the implementation of the project plan despite expert advice and that the community-based NGOs were neither adequately qualified nor properly licensed.”

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