life esidimeni

1947 | Former South Africa judge, Dikgang Moseneke, was born on this day.
GIANLUIGI GUERCIA / AFP

Only 5% of the Life Esidimeni compensation has been paid thus far.

The Gauteng government has attributed the slow pace of payouts to Esidimeni claimants to Covid-19 lockdown restrictions.

life esidimeni

1947 | Former South Africa judge, Dikgang Moseneke, was born on this day.
GIANLUIGI GUERCIA / AFP

The Democratic Alliance (DA) has revealed that only R6.5 million (5%) of the R120 million budget for compensation to Life Esidimeni victims and their families has been paid out so far this year.

The party stated that the figures were revealed during a Thursday presentation by the Premier’s Office at a meeting of the Gauteng Legislature’s Oversight Committee on the Premier’s Office and Legislature (OCPOL).

144 patients died following the October 2015 decision announced by Gauteng MEC for Health, Qedani Mahlangu to terminate an outsourced care contract with Life Healthcare Esidimeni Hospital. The facility had provided inpatient care, treatment and rehabilitation for people with chronic psychiatric disorder, and severe intellectual disability.

The Gauteng government had stated that the contract termination was in line with the Mental Health Care Act no 17 of 2002, which encourages mental health care practitioners to treat mental health care users in the least restrictive environment.

“Consequently, as a Department, we want to reduce psychiatric patients at facilities by discharging all those who are responding well to treatment and integrate them back to communities and afford them treatment at their respective homes.”, said MEC Mahlangu.

Qedani Mahlangu

The Human rights commission found that all 27 NGO’s to which patients were transferred operated under invalid licenses.

Following the deaths, Deputy Chief Justice Dikgang Moseneke was appointed as the chairperson of the public hearings after which he ordered government to pay R1.2 million to each of the claimants.

According to the Premier’s Office, the underspending is due to lockdown restrictions which resulted in delays in the verification process of claimants.

There were 451 claims received, of which 352 were verified, but 81 of these claimants have still not been paid.

Gauteng Director-General Phindile Baleni said that the remainder of the R120 million budget would be spent in December and January when the trust is set up by the Master of the Court for the 50% of the payout that is earmarked for the patients. The other 50% is supposed to go to the families of the patients.