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Mahlangu to testify at Esidimeni hearings

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The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) says it expects police to arrest former Gauteng Health MEC Qedani Mahlangu when she appears at the Life Esidimeni Arbitration hearings in Parktown, Johanneburg on Monday morning.

The party opened criminal cases against Mahlangu and senior department officials as well as Gauteng Premier David Makhura in February last year over the Esidimeni tragedy.

Acting EFF Gauteng chairperson Mandisa Mashego has expressed disappointment that no one has been arrested despite all the evidence emerging at the hearings.

“Our biggest disappointment is that Qedani was allowed to flee the country, while there were cases implicating her directly, for complicity in the murder of 143 mentally-ill patients. I expect police to be here to make an arrest. I also expect for her to make very honest disclosures. The complicity in this case goes right up to the premier. Unfortunately he cannot get away with saying that he didn’t know.”

The hearings resumed on Thursday last week, following a six-week adjournment.

Mahlangu’s appearance follows Friday’s revelation by Deputy Director-General for Mental Health Services in Gauteng, Hannah Jacobus.

Jacobus revealed for the first time that it was Mahlangu who made the decision to terminate the department’s long-standing contract with Life Esidimeni.

One hundred and forty three mentally ill patients died after transferred to unlicensed NGOs.

Mahlangu is expected to face tough questions over the Department’s decision to abruptly end the contract it had with Life Esidimeni for about 36 years, and take patients to NGOs who neither had the capacity not the expertise to care for them.

She also has to answer why expert advice was ignored.

Senior departmental officials, who testified before Mahlangu, have maintained the decision was taken to save costs.

But that has been questioned by the lawyers for the families.

Some family members have also expressed concern that Mahlangu may not reveal the truth. They say their previous personal encounters with her were unpleasant, describing her as arrogant and dismissive.

However, her presence at the hearings will come as a relief to some who had said her failure to appear would render the whole arbitration process useless.

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