By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
The Democratic Alliance (DA) welcomed the decision by Judge Mmonoa Teffo that former Gauteng Premier David Makhura and Former MEC of Finance Barbara Creecy should testify at the Life Esidimeni inquest into the deaths of 144 mental health patients.
This follows the testimony of former Gauteng Health MEC Qedani Mahlangu that Makhura was directly involved in the decision to cancel the Esidimeni contract.
In a statement, DA shadow minister of Health Jack Bloom said, “Makhura has denied that he knew the Esidimeni patients were going to NGOs rather than other state facilities, but this is not credible as I asked questions about this in the Gauteng Legislature and warned that this was a looming disaster.”
The inquest is seeking to determine if anyone should be held criminally liable for the deaths of the patients.
On Thursday, Judge Teffo argued that the testimonies of Makhura and Creecy were crucial for the inquest.
“Because the names of the following people have been constantly mentioned in this proceedings, the court has decided to call them to come and testify, concerning the issues raised about them. These are the names, David Makhura, Barbra Creecy and Professor Robinson. I think the arrangements could be made,” adds Teffo.
Mahlangu was adamant that the decision to terminate the contract came from the premier’s committee, and the decision to take the patients from Life Esidimeni was made by the department.
She insisted that the decision to terminate the contract was not wrong, but that it was the execution that went wrong.
Asked to detail what it was about the execution that went wrong, she said that patients were taken to NGOs “without adequate capacity and staffing, were not treated well, NGOs were not paid on time and as a result, patient care was compromised”.
Mahlangu stressed that at all material times the then Gauteng premier Makhura and the then finance MEC Creecy were fully aware of what was happening in the health department and of the decision to terminate the contract.