Former Gauteng Health MEC Qedani Mahlangu has apologised to the families of the victims of the Esidimeni tragedy.
She has been reading out a written statement at the Life Esidimeni arbitration hearings in Parktown, Johannesburg.
Mahlangu has been accused of making the decision to terminate the long-standing contract with Life Esidimeni and taking patients to ill-equipped NGOs where 143 of them died.
She says it is regrettable that the programme did not work and people lost their lives.
“The loss of life our country experienced during the termination of Life Esidimeni service agreements is certainly one of the most painful ever incident in the history of the South African health system.’
“The deaths of approximately 140 mental health care users is indeed painful and regrettable and I want to upfront express my sincere condolences to the families who lost their loved ones,” adds Mahlangu.
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