Hearings start into Esidimeni

Felicity Adams, Diederik Johannes Botha, Terence Maphea Chaba, Motshabisi Michael Tlholwe, Julia Kedibone Tshwae and Cindy van Rooyen - these were among the 55 names read out by Section 27 advocate Adila Hassim on the first day of hearings in the arbitration process in the Life Esidimeni saga.

An estimated 118 people died after being removed from Life Esidimeni homes and sent to ill-equipped, unlicensed NGOs last year.

It was initially reported that 94 psychiatric patients had died. More than 1400 patients were moved in total.

The arbitration hearing is set down for three weeks in Johannesburg in order to find restitution for families who had lost loved ones.

The state has agreed it was responsible for the tragedy and it needed to be part of the processes to help families find closure.

In his address, state Advocate Tebogo Hutamo said: "The state ... will give an account of the events in full. This is part of a responsible government that takes responsibility."

He called the 118 deaths "regrettable" but said they did not "happen by design".

 In her opening statement Hassim asked why the Life Esidimeni tragedy had occurred.

The two reasons given by government for the move were to save money and to deinstitutionalise patients into the community.

Hassim said neither reason had held up.

 It also emerged as the arbitration hearings started that former health MEC Qedani Mahlangu, who was in charge of the move, was not on the state witness list. None of the state witnesses included people involved in the decisions to end the Life Esidimeni contracts.

Hutamo said if Section 27 and others wanted witnesses they needed to subpoena them.