Suspended Gauteng Mental Health Director Makgabo Manamela has disputed Health Ombudsman Malegapuru Makgoba’s findings that some mentally-ill patients were transported on open bakkies from Life Esidimeni facilities to unlicensed Non-Governmental Organisations.
That is despite National Health Department Director General Precious Matsoso and Gauteng Health Chief Director Molefi Mosenogi confirming this happened in their testimonies in October.
Manamela responded to Section 27’s Advocate Adila Hassim by claiming Makgoba, Matsoso and Mosenogi were misinformed.
Manamela also refuses to admit that she did not have the powers to sign off on licences for NGOs that received mentally ill-patients.
Legal Aid SA’ s Lilla Crouse tried to get Manamela to admit this today, based on Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi’s letter presented in Parliament that all such licences were unlawful.
143 patients subsequently died in these NGOs. It also emerged this week that Manamela licensed an NGO that did not exist.
Arbitrator of the Esdimeni hearings, Justice Dikgang Moseneke, who was visibly frustrated, tried to demonstrate to Manamela that this was a matter of law, but she dug her heels in.
