Esidimeni: Suspended Selebano lays responsibility on ex-MEC

Suspended Gauteng health department head Barney Selebano finally started testifying at the Life Esidimeni hearings on Tuesday by placing some of the blame on the shoulders of former health MEC Qedani Mahlangu.

He said pressure to place patients in NGOs came from Mahlangu, to which evidence leader Patrick Ngutshana replied: "Now we are getting somewhere."

Selebano was forced to testify at the arbitration hearings after losing his court bid to challenge a subpoena on Monday.

Selebano said "some" NGOs, including Precious Angels, took in more mentally ill patients than they could cope with so that they could make more money, calling it a "numbers game".

Twenty patients died at Precious Angels.

Selebano admitted there was great pressure to move patients into NGOs after the Life Esidimeni homes contract was cancelled, but would not be drawn on who cancelled the contract that left almost 1700 severely intellectually disabled patients without homes.

He said it was a "team" decision.

"We were told there was no money."

Retired deputy chief justice Dikgang Moseneke, who is heading the hearings, told him he and the families were hoping to get answers as to what had really happened.

"We still hope somebody senior will come and tell us what happened. It is a very important part of healing, Dr Selebano."

Moseneke asked Selebano more than 10 times why he moved patients out of NGOs. He would only say it was because he had been instructed to.

After three hours on the stand he admitted the NGOs were "not fit for purpose".