By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
Premier Panyaza Lesufi has announced that the Gauteng government will build a monument in memory of the deceased victims of the Life Esidimeni tragedy.
This matter is now concluded in court with a clear ruling that will culminate with the completion of the Life Esidimeni monument by the Gauteng provincial government,” he said.
“We also intend to finalise all Life Esidimeni claims by the end of this financial year so that this particular chapter can come to an end,” he said.
Lesufi revealed this during the budget vote for the Premier’s office on Thursday in the Gauteng Legislature.
The announcement about the finalization of the claims comes weeks after the High Court in Pretoria found former health MEC Qedani Mahlangu and the Head of Department for Mental Health Makgabo Manamela were responsible for the deaths of some Life Esidimeni patients.
“The judgement on Life Esidimeni should serve as a lesson to all of us to respect and protect the rights of the weak, “Lesufi said.
A total of 144 mental health patients died in 2016 after they were transferred to ill-prepared non-governmental organisations (NGOs) by private healthcare provider Life Esidimeni.
The Gauteng Health MEC Nomantu Nkomo-Ralehoko also announced several initiatives that would improve health care for mentally ill patients, including better oversight mechanisms that would ensure the safety and well-being of patients.
Meanwhile, Lesufi said the Nasi iSpani jobs initiative will now be taken into the premier’s office.
“We are migrating skills development programmes like the Gauteng City region academy and the Nasi iSpani programme to the office of the premier to mainstream support to all departments, “he said.
Nasi Ispani was introduced by Lesufi to address youth unemployment in the province.
The move has attracted a lot of criticism from opposition parties that complained that Lesufi was using the initiative to get people to vote for the ruling party.
Lesufi has rejected the criticism, saying he is dealing with youth unemployment, which is a national problem.
He said the office of the Premier had received a budget allocation of around R671m for the 2024-2025 financial year.