Three years after the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) launched an inquest into the Life Esidimeni tragedy in which 141 people died in the Gauteng health department’s “mental health marathon project”, families will learn if anyone is to be held criminally liable for the deaths of their loved ones.
Public interest law centre Section 27, which represented the families of 44 of the patients who died, argued during the inquest that former Gauteng health MEC Qedani Mahlangu, former head of mental health services Makgabo Manamela and the owner of the NGO Precious Angels Ethel Ncube should be charged with culpable homicide. It said the patients had died in conditions of “extreme neglect”; many were emaciated, dehydrated and suffering from bed sores.
The NPA is expected to decide if anyone is to be criminally prosecuted after judgment is delivered.
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