The Life Esidimeni Inquest is expected to resume in the High Court in Pretoria Wednesday morning. The inquest was established to determine who should be held criminally liable for the deaths of 144 mentally challenged patients in 2016.
Most of them died of hunger and neglect following the termination of the Life Esidimeni Project by former Gauteng Health MEC Qedani Mahlangu in June 2016.
The patients were then moved to ill-equipped NGOs.
The cross examination of the former Deputy Director General for Mental Health Services in Gauteng, Hannah Jacobus is likely to continue.
During her testimony on Monday, Jacobus said that proper processes were not followed in the issuing of licences to the NGOs.
Jacobus said some patients died while in the care of an unlicensed NGO in Cullinan east of Pretoria.
She testified that NGOs were not assisted financially to set up facilities for the transfer of mentally ill patients from the Life Esidimeni NGOs.
She said only an inspection by department officials would determine if new NGOs were suitable to accommodate patients.
SABC News Reporter Chriselda Lewis provides more details:
-Additional reporting by Phanuel Shuma
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