Suspended Gauteng Mental Health Director, Dr Makgabo Manamela has finally taken the stand at the Life Esidimeni hearings underway in Parktown, Johannesburg.
This follows her failed bid to be given four weeks to go through certain documents that are before hearings and also to obtain more information from the Gauteng Health Department. She also wanted access to the laptop she was using before being suspended by the department.
Manamela also argued it would not be fair for her to testify now as she’s scheduled to appear before a departmental disciplinary hearing early next month. Her application was opposed by lawyers representing the families of the victims as well as the state.
Arbitrator, former deputy Chief Justice, Dikgang Moseneke was also not convinced, saying as a witness, Manamela only needed to give a truthful account of what happened.
“In my view, the application is baseless both on the facts that it purports to rely on, as well as on the law. And consequently the application is dismissed forthwith, and Manamela is directed to take the witness stand immediately,” says Moseneke.
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