NPA considers criminal charges in Life Esidimeni tragedy

Director of Public Prosecution in North Gauteng, Advocate George Baloyi, has received 140 inquest dockets relating to the loss of lives during the Life Esidimeni tragedy.

At least 140 patients died as a result of the Gauteng Department of Health's decision to terminate its contract with the Life Esidimeni mental health facility and move patients to ill-equipped and unlicensed NGOs.

National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) spokesperson, Phindi Mjonondwane, says prosecutors are currently studying the dockets.

"After receiving the dockets, Adv. Baloyi and a team of prosecutors are studying the content of the dockets to check if there are any individuals that can be held criminally liable for Life Esidimeni."

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Arbitrator at the hearings into the tragedy, former deputy chief justice Dikgang Moseneke, laid the majority of the blame at the feet of top Gauteng Health officials.

Mjonondwane says no deadline has been set but they want to conclude the work as soon as possible.

"We don't have a deadline as such, but what we have done as the NPA we have given ourselves four to six week to conclude all the work."

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Government has been ordered to pay compensation of R1.2 million to each of the affected families.