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Former Gauteng Health MEC Qedani Mahlangu does not agree with the findings of the report on the Life Esidimeni tragedy.
At least 143 vulnerable, mentally ill patients died after being transferred from the Life Esidimeni facility to inadequately resourced non-governmental organisations across the province.
The report, which was released on February 1 2017, was compiled by health ombud Professor Malegapuru Makgoba. It found that Mahlangu’s actions pertaining to the deaths of the patients amounted to negligence.
“My duties are defined by the Public Financial Management Act,” Mahlangu insisted, as she explained that she did not hold an “administrative role”.
Mahlangu said that she tendered her resignation on January 31 2017.
She was testifying at the Life Esidimeni Arbitration Hearings currently under way in Parktown.
Advocate Adila Hassim, who was representing the families of the victims, began the cross-examination after the lunch break, following Mahlangu’s testimony.
“Could you please answer the question ... whether you agree with the findings of the report?” Hassim repeated several times.
“As I said, I am the one who initiated the report,” Mahlangu replied.
One of the main findings of the report by the ombud was that the Gauteng health department’s decision “to terminate and relocate patients from LE Centres precipitously was fundamentally flawed, irrational, unwise and inhumane”.
“I have already said that I do not agree with those findings,” she said.
The public hearing, which was attended by some of the victims’ family members, finally got to hear Mahlangu answer questions.
She was eventually subpoenaed to appear before former Deputy Chief Justice Dikgang Moseneke, who was chairing the hearing.
The decision to transfer the patients was made because the Gauteng department of health was terminating its contract with Life Esidimeni in order to cut costs.
The patients were transferred to the various organisations in June 2016.
This morning, emotional family members of the victims chanted “senzeni na?” [What have we done?] as Mahlangu made her way to the front of the room.
The proceedings began with Mahlangu reading verbatim her witness statement on her role as the then health MEC, but not before she apologised to the families for their loss.
Mahlangu appeared to fight back tears as she said the role of the healthcare system was meant to “prolong” the lives of citizens for as long as possible.
“Our healthcare system is meant to preserve and where humanly possible to prolong human life. In this regard, our primary role as a department of health, then, in the transfer of patients from Life Esidimeni, was to ensure that we deliver service to all the people of Gauteng. Clearly this did not go according to plan, and for that I sincerely apologise,” Mahlangu said.
“It is important to state that the Life Esidimeni project had good intentions and I don’t think that anybody planned that people are going to die or people are going to be killed,” she said.
Mahlangu explained that the process of integrating the patients into society rather than leaving them in facilities or institutions stemmed from good intentions.
A few cries were heard from the back of the room, and Moseneke called for calm in order to give Mahlangu a chance to speak.
“Again, the witness is entitled to some level of dignity. So allow her to say what she says, please,” Moseneke said.
Various issues were raised by Moseneke, including how Mahlangu was made aware of any issues that surfaced from the care of the patients in the organisations.
Mahlangu explained that she was completely unaware of the problems until a journalist probed the issue with her and the department.
“The first key challenge to be brought to me was a shortage of food at an non-governmental organisation in Cullinan, it was [the] third of July 2016 late in the evening. I got concerned that this journalist kept asking me things, and I realised that whatever I was answering, I might not have the full information,” she explained.
Mahlangu explained that after raising the issue with her department, it came to light that at that point, 36 of the Life Esidimeni patients had died in the care of these organisations.
This report, she said, was compiled by head of department Dr Barney Selebano, who resigned last week.
“I asked Professor Makgoba [the health ombudsman] to help the department investigate the circumstances under which the 36 people died. I also had a meeting with the minister [of health, Dr Aaron Motsoaledi] about the Nelson Mandela Children’s Hospital, and I told him that the ombudsman was not prepared to help me,” she said.
Mahlangu also explained that she soon realised that there was a certain level of trust which had “degenerated” among her team.
The proceedings continue.
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