Bettie Molefe the mother of the late Sophie Molefe, is seen becoming emotional during a press briefing, 1 February 2017, at the Medical Research Council building, Pretoria. Picture: Jacques Nelles
With the death toll of mentally ill patients in Gauteng standing at more than 100, it has been claimed that a private NGO buried the bodies of some of the patients.
This is according to Jack Bloom, DA Gauteng shadow MEC for health, who said he was horrified by a report that a NGO privately buried the bodies of psychiatric patients who had been transferred to them from Life Esidimeni after it was closed.
READ MORE: DA calls for Judicial Commission of Inquiry into Esidimeni transfer deaths
“Karina Morale, who runs the Tshepong NGO in Pretoria, has admitted that her organisation buried six of the ten patients who died there,” said Bloom.
“She says that the Gauteng health department knows that they gave them private burials rather than pauper burials so that they could show any family members where they were buried, but she won’t reveal where they are.”
According to Bloom, Morale claims they died of natural causes but the families could not be contacted because the patients arrived at Tshepong from Esidimeni without patient files.
“It is highly irregular and suspicious that private burials were done as it is usually the state’s responsibility,” said Bloom.
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