A group of people demanding compensation from the Gauteng government following the Life Esidimeni tragedy say they are being given the run around.
They held a protest outside Gauteng premier David Makhura’s office in Johannesburg.
The Gauteng government says it has settled all the 134 claims as per the order of the chairperson of the Esidimeni Inquiry, retired Deputy Chief Justice Dikgang Moseneke.
In 2016 about 144 psychiatric patients died after being moved from Esidimeni centres to ill-equipped NGO’s.
This after the Gauteng Health Department terminated its contract with the Life Esidimeni group to cut costs.
The Provincial Government says it is still verifying the new claims and will process payments once this process is complete.
Sipho Mtshalala whose sister was moved from Life Esidimeni to an NGO says they are tired of government’s empty promises.
“We want to find out a date or payment because we have been sent from pillar to post. We have been attending endless meetings, they have been telling us different stories and now we find that this is time wasting because they come with different stories.”
“The DG on September 15 she promised that on the 10th we will be paid or even before the 10th, they won’t go beyond. And look today is the 10th and no money.”
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