Life Esidimeni ruling will cost government R200m plus: Bloom

19 March 2018 - 14:24 By Timeslive
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Family members celebrate after former Deputy Chief Justice Dikgang Moseneke ordered that the government pay R1.2 million to the families who were affected by the Life Esidimeni tragedy.
Family members celebrate after former Deputy Chief Justice Dikgang Moseneke ordered that the government pay R1.2 million to the families who were affected by the Life Esidimeni tragedy.
Image: Alaister Russell/The Sunday Times

The amount to be paid to the Life Esidimeni claimants is about R175-million in total‚ which is way more than the R28-million currently budgeted in the current provincial budget‚ says Jack Bloom‚ the Democratic Alliance Gauteng Shadow Health MEC.

The total expenses for the provincial government are likely to be over R200-million‚ said Bloom‚ due to the costs of hearing itself and the pledge by the provincial government to build a monument to the victims.

The Gauteng provincial government had offered R200‚000 damages under common law and denied that it was liable for breaches of constitutional rights‚ he said‚ adding today's ruling was a "stinging rebuke" for the province.

He called on the police to follow up on Moseneke's clear findings about criminal liability involving officials within the health department.

Bloom concluded: "Justice Moseneke has demonstrated great wisdom and compassion and set a binding precedent for the dignified treatment of all people in line with the Constitution."


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