'I did it for money', says NGO owner who raided dead patients' accounts

Dorothy Franks, who ran the Anchor NGO at which at least five patients transferred from Life Esidimeni died, has admitted that she drew SA Social Security Agency grant money from the accounts of dead patients.

When she was asked by retired judge Dikgang Moseneke, who is presiding over the Life Esidimeni arbitration hearings, if she drew grants from the Sassa accounts of the dead she became silent for a while and then said: "Yes, judge."

Later, she whispered: "I couldn't help it."

She had earlier told the hearing that, after her NGO in Cullinan had been shut down, she had been chased off the premises.

Franks drew grants of about R1,500 each from the accounts of 29 patients for five months. The patients were no longer in her care at the time.

Franks also earned R600,000 from the Gauteng department of health after her NGO was shut down in October last year. She received R150,000 a month for four months for services rendered by an NGO that had been shut down.

During cross-examination, she was asked to explain why she took about 72 patients into her care when she did not have experience in caring for mentally ill patients, and had a licence only to look after children with intellectual disabilities. She was asked why she had accommodated men and women in the same crowded ward.

Franks said she took in patients under pressure from then Gauteng health MEC Qedani Mahlangu and former director of health in the province Makgoba Manamela.

Section 27 advocate Nikki Stein suggested that Franks took patients for the money.

"You didn't resist pressure from Dr Manamela and Mahlangu because you wanted the money?"

Franks responded: "Yes."

She was promised R3,490 per patient per month by Manamela, but was not paid immediately and had to use her own money to buy food for patients.

She is the first NGO owner to concede under oath that she "did it for the money".

Other NGO owners have not given clear answers as to why they took in patients when they lacked competent employees, and experience or knowledge in the care of psychiatric patients.

Advocates at the hearing testified on Monday that they did not know how to contact the former health MEC and had asked her lawyers to provide an address for the serving of a subpoena.

City Press had reported that Mahlangu was studying at the London School of Economics but the university confirmed to the Mail & Guardian that she was not registered there.

Moseneke said Mahlangu and two of her officials, Makgoba Manamela and Barney Selebano, would have to appear at the hearings.