Judge rules former health MEC can be held criminally liable for 9 Life Esidimeni deaths

11 Jul 2024

After an eight-year wait for justice, judgment has finally been handed down in the Life Esidimeni inquest.

Judge Mmonoa Teffo found that former Gauteng Health MEC Qedani Mahlangu and mental health director Makgabo Manemela can be held responsible for the deaths of nine Life Esidimeni patients. Due to the length of the judgment, Teffo read only the conclusion.

The purpose of the inquest, which began in July 2021, was to determine the cause of and possible liability for the deaths of 144 mental healthcare users who were moved from the Life Esidimeni health facility to unsuitable non-government organisations in 2016.

Read the full article by Takudzwa Pongweni at Daily Maverick.

Source: Daily Maverick

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