Former Gauteng health MEC Qedani Mahlangu told the Life Esidimeni inquest being held in the Pretoria high court that the move that resulted in the deaths of 141 mental health patients could have been handled better.
Mahlangu was on Friday grilled by the state's advocate Willem Pienaar on her role in the seemingly rushed process of moving about 2,000 mental health patients from Life Esidimeni facilities to NGOs around the province between March and August 2016.
Public interest law centre Section 27 says the process was completely haphazard, with patients being loaded onto the back of trucks, confidential patient records being lost and chaos characterising the process.
When asked if she agreed the transfer could have been handled better, Mahlangu said “yes”. But on whether she had violated the rights of the mental health patients, she had no comment.
Her testimony revolved around the minutes of a meeting in November 2015 where an extension of a contract with Life Esidimeni was discussed and an extension of three months was discussed and agreed on.
Pienaar asked her if she agreed the deinstitutionalisation and removal process had affected the patients directly and that more care was required. She said she did.
Mahlangu said she did not believe the removal was rushed and that the departmental team felt it could finish the work on time, during the three-month extension.
During the week, Mahlangu testified that the department’s chief planning director Levy Mosenogi had made the request for the contract to be extended. After the initial request for an extension, there was no request for another one.
She said she had full confidence in the team to handle the project of moving the patients safely.
Mahlangu also claimed she had raised concern over the Cullinan Care and Rehabilitation Centre (CCRC) facilities which, like the Siyabadinga centre, was also operating without a licence.
“They were fighting over the kitchen and the cold storage and that was compromising the patient care,” she said.
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'The removals could have been handled better': Qedani Mahlangu on Life Esidimeni tragedy
Image: ALON SKUY
Former Gauteng health MEC Qedani Mahlangu told the Life Esidimeni inquest being held in the Pretoria high court that the move that resulted in the deaths of 141 mental health patients could have been handled better.
Mahlangu was on Friday grilled by the state's advocate Willem Pienaar on her role in the seemingly rushed process of moving about 2,000 mental health patients from Life Esidimeni facilities to NGOs around the province between March and August 2016.
Public interest law centre Section 27 says the process was completely haphazard, with patients being loaded onto the back of trucks, confidential patient records being lost and chaos characterising the process.
When asked if she agreed the transfer could have been handled better, Mahlangu said “yes”. But on whether she had violated the rights of the mental health patients, she had no comment.
Her testimony revolved around the minutes of a meeting in November 2015 where an extension of a contract with Life Esidimeni was discussed and an extension of three months was discussed and agreed on.
Pienaar asked her if she agreed the deinstitutionalisation and removal process had affected the patients directly and that more care was required. She said she did.
Mahlangu said she did not believe the removal was rushed and that the departmental team felt it could finish the work on time, during the three-month extension.
During the week, Mahlangu testified that the department’s chief planning director Levy Mosenogi had made the request for the contract to be extended. After the initial request for an extension, there was no request for another one.
She said she had full confidence in the team to handle the project of moving the patients safely.
Mahlangu also claimed she had raised concern over the Cullinan Care and Rehabilitation Centre (CCRC) facilities which, like the Siyabadinga centre, was also operating without a licence.
“They were fighting over the kitchen and the cold storage and that was compromising the patient care,” she said.
TimesLIVE
Support independent journalism by subscribing to the Sunday Times. Just R20 for the first month.
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