Suspended Gauteng Mental Health Director, Dr Makgabo Manamela says she feels prejudiced by the Life Esidimeni hearings underway in Parktown, Johannesburg.
She says she is not being given a fair chance to state her side of the story and that it appears as if those cross-examining her have already made up their minds against her version of events based on the evidence of previous witnesses.
Solidarity’s Advocate Dirk Groenewald accused Manamela of manipulating licenses issued to ill-equipped Non-Governmental Organisations as all of them were signed on 1 April last year.
Manamela says there might have been procedural errors, but that the licences were meant to give NGOs permission to start operating on that date.
She accused Groenewald of inciting family members of the deceased patients to be hostile towards her, adding she is even concerned for her safety.
“I am not a manipulator and I really feel that if there’s a stirring like that between me and the people who are hurting, it will cause me danger and my family. Everybody who came and testified before me, these proceedings accepted their testimony, and when I give my version, I’m told I’m a manipulator. I’m a professional person and I’ll ask through you Justice let my version be given and you’ll come back and judge.”
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