Gauteng Premier David Makhura has announced that he won’t step down, despite calls from opposition parties for him to resign over his handling of the deaths of 100 psychiatric patients at Life Esidimeni.
Responding to the State of the Province Address debate at the Gauteng Legislature on 24 February, Makhura said, “Full accountability must go all the way.”
Makhura also said, “Criticism is what we take to heart. We must work together to uproot corruption and encourage accountability.”
He urged Members of the Provincial Legislature, especially those from the opposition, to focus on solutions, nation-building and social cohesion. He said issues raised during debates would not be dismissed offhand simply because they came from opposition parties.
Read Why did 94 psychiatric patients have to die?
He said the psychiatric patients’ deaths, for their families’ sake, should not be used to score political points. He gave an update on the implementation of the health ombudsman’s recommendations, including moving patients to appropriate facilities. Starting next week, patients would be moved from NGOs to public-health facilities.
He said he respected threats by opposition parties to take legal action against him over the psychiatric patients’ deaths. Those baying for his and Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi’s blood, he said, should do this in the name of accountability, not political games.
