365 Esidimeni victims still not paid compensation

This was revealed today in the Gauteng Legislature by Premier David Makhura in an oral reply to questions posed by DA Gauteng Shadow Health MEC and MPL Jack Bloom that 365 victims of the Life Esidimeni tragedy have still not been paid compensation as determined by Justice Dikgang Moseneke’s Arbitration ruling.

Bloom said in a statement: “Makhura said that R164 million had been paid to 134 claimants who were part of the arbitration process, and also to an additional four new claimants. According to Makhura, a verification process involving the Master of the High Court has to be done for the remaining 365 claimants as there are disputes as to the rightful person for each claim. He did not expect the payments to take that long in terms of the agreed process.

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“I am concerned that the payments have been unduly delayed by inefficiency in the premier’s office. Furthermore, it would cost about R431 million to pay the 365 claimants, but only R118 million was provided for in the adjustment budget in November last year,” added Bloom.

The DA MPL went on to question where the missing R313 million to pay all the claimants would come from.

“It is unlikely that all the victims will be paid by the time… Makhura ends his term of office on 8 May, which is a sad comment on a tragedy that will always blight his premiership,” said Bloom before going on to call these developments shameful.

(Compiled by Kaunda Selisho) 

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