Urgent Call for Life Esidimeni Decision Makers to be Charged with Culpable Homicide

Civil rights group, Section 27, has appealed for the indictment of those associated with the Life Esidimeni calamity on accounts of culpable homicide, pointing out those responsible for the decisions leading to 144 mental health patients' mortalities.

As the inquest into the calamity is set to continue at the Pretoria High Court this Thursday, Section 27 has specifically highlighted two Department of Health employees and the ex-owner of a Non-Government Organisation (NGO).

In a tragic turn of events back in 2016, the Gauteng Department of Health terminated its contract with Life Esidimeni, culminating in horrendous casualties.

After seven painstaking years, the families of the victims still pursue justice for their departed loved ones, as the inquest to identify the accountable parties lingers on.

According to Section 27, Qedani Mahlangu, the former Gauteng Health MEC, Makgabo Manamela, the preceding Gauteng Mental Health head, and Ethel Ncube, the proprietor of Precious Angels NGO, should face criminal accusations.

Section 27's Sasha Stevenson pointed out that Mahlangu and Manamela's termination of the contract with Life Esidimeni resulted in 20 casualties at Ethel Ncube's NGO. Ncube lacked the necessary experience, competent staff, adequate facilities, and funding yet admitted 56 mental health patients over several days.

Simultaneously, the victims' families expressed dissatisfaction with the apology extended by Manamela, citing a lack of genuineness in her remorse.