Life Esidimeni inquest postponed again

The National Prosecuting Authority started the inquest into the Life Esidimeni tragedy in the Pretoria High Court on Monday, July 19.

Advocate Adila Hassim told the panel that 144 mentally ill patients lost their lives following the decision and actions by the Gauteng Department of Health to move them from the Life Esidimeni facility where they had been receiving treatment and care, to a number of unlicensed NGOs scattered across the province.

“This inquest arises from the deaths of mental healthcare users who were in the care of the state,” said Hassim.

Hassim said the most important aspect in this record is the assessment of the evidence by former Deputy Chief Justice, Dikgang Moseneke who in his arbitration noted that this was a harrowing account of the death, torture and disappearance of utterly vulnerable mental healthcare users in the care of an admittedly delinquent provincial government. He added that it was now undisputed that as a result of their move out of Life Esidimeni facilities after 1 October 2015, 144 mental healthcare users died.

State advocate, Tebogo Hutamo, told the court on Wednesday, July 21 that he was representing several former and current government officials and this could lead to conflicting evidence.

The inquest was postponed to Friday, July 23 after Judge Mmonoa Teffo, who is the chair of this hearing in the Pretoria High Court, said those implicated had two days to secure legal representation.

Last Friday, however, the inquest was postponed to August to allow for all parties involved to ensure they are legally represented.

“I agree that we should ensure that all the parties, including the government officials, should be properly represented. Under the circumstances it is in the interest of justice to postpone this matter to August 2,” said Judge Teffo.