A family member of a surviving Esidimeni victim has called for implicated Senior Health officials to be charged and arrested. She’s also conceded to a possible murder charge.
Over 100 patients died after being moved on the instruction of the top officials including former Health MEC Qedani Mahlangu.
Another official responsible for mortuaries at one of the NGOs was grilled why bodies decomposed under their care.
A shocking testimony from Ntomfuthi Dladla detailed the state in which they found her brother Joseph Gumede’s body severely decomposed.
Gumede died on 24th July at the Cullinan Care and Rehabilitation Centre in Pretoria. His body lied at their mortuary for three weeks, before being moved to another one in Mamelodi.
But an official responsible for the mortuary’s facilities has denied that Gumede’s body decomposed in their care despite evidence suggesting their fridges were broken.
He later contradicted his own facts and was accused of being evasive.
Families want implicated officials arrested including former Health MEC Qedani Mahlangu and Manamela hinting on a murder charge on dolus eventualis.
The arbitrator Justice Dikgang Moseneke says: “Some of us are not medical people but we could see that things might happen here (from 10:40) do you think that Dr Makgabo Manamela and Selebano could foresee that if they moved those people they could relapse or even die?”
“Yes they did, even Mosenogi said this was not going to be functional.”
Manamela who was due to testify again on Tuesday did not attend hearings citing illness.
Manamela is due to return to the stand on Thursday. She will be further questioned about issuing unlawful licenses and forcing ill-equipped NGOs to take in patients.
Failure to appear could see the withheld warrant of arrest executed against her.
