Moseneke: Gauteng health officials breached the Constitution
In concluding the Life Esidimeni
hearings, former Deputy Chief Justice Dikgang Moseneke expressed his disbelief
in how top Gauteng health officials had no grasp of the number of the actual
deaths.
Moseneke says the top Gauteng health officials simply falsely claimed ignorance.
The top officials include former provincial Health MEC, Qedani Mahlangu, suspended Gauteng health head Dr. Tiego "Barney" Selebano, and suspended director of mental health Dr. Makgabo Manamela.
"On the totality of the evidence, I conclude that Mrs. Mahlangu, Dr. Selebano, and Dr. Manamela falsely claimed ignorance of actual numbers of deaths at NGOs," says Moseneke.
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Moseneke adds Mahlangu was more concerned about political games than the truth.
Moseneke further went to say the reasons given by Dr. Selebano and his departments to remove patients from Life Esidimeni as untrue.
"The reasons are not properly related to the outcome they were pursuing."
Mosekene says reasons officials gave for removing the patients were irrational and therefore in breach of the Constitution.
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Moseneke ordered the government to pay each of the claimants a minimum of R1 million each.
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