The families of the victims of the Life Esidimeni tragedy are expected to find out on Monday how much they will be receiving in financial compensation.
Life Esidimeni arbitrator, Justice Dikgang Moseneke, is set to release his final report in Parktown, Johannesburg following months of public hearings into the deaths of 144 mentaly-ill patients.
The victims died at various NGOs across Gauteng, after they were unlawfully transferred from Life Esidimeni facilities.
The move followed the provincial Health Department’s decision to abruptly terminate its long-standing contract with the Life Esidimeni group.
Justice Moseneke says the findings will be binding.
“This was an arbitration, there is much confusion out there as people call it an inquiry, call it commission. And I think it’s mainly because of the total circumstances. It was a subset of an alternative dispute resolution, chosen by the parties, in which they submit ultimately to an award by an arbitrator, which if not reviewed and set aside would be binding on all the parties, and therefore they’d be obliged to implement the award which ranks same status in our law as court order.”
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