Christine Nxumalo who lost her sister Virginia Macphela after she was moved from Life Esidimeni home to an NGO says Qedani Mahlangu resigning is “cowardly“.
Mahlangu was not at the media conference where Premier David Makura announced the health MEC’s resignation.
She did not attend the media conference where health ombudsman Malegapuru Makgoba detailed how her “fingerprints” were all over the chaotic move to place very sick patients from Life Esidimeni with NGOs.
Makgoba found there were human rights and legal violations that occurred during the move.
Makgoba detailed how Mahlangu and her two heads did not provide necessary information and in some cases had tampered with evidence during his investigation.
Makgoba ruled that if they died in hospital after poor treatment at NGOs‚ it was the NGOs that were responsible for their deaths.
Mahlangu had disputed this.
Nxumalo is furious. She said: “Mahlangu has been lying all this time. She tried to show patients died in hospital and not NGOs. This is manipulation“
She added: “Resigning is a cowardly act‚ I am not surprised. I am yet to stand in front of her.
She needs God in her life. I don’t know how she sleeps every day.”
“If she came here — and at least show her face and defend her actions. Instead she
handing in her resignation the day before‚ it is cowardly.”
Andrew Pieterson‚ spokesperson for the Family Committee of Esidimeni Patients‚ said Mahlangu’s resignation was not enough.
“We have lots of people who lost their loved ones. People are sad. This is not really closure. The MEC resigning is not enough‚ we have to exhaust many options. We wanted her to be fired which would have carried more punch.”
Nompilo Nkosi‚ whose autistic brother is still staying at Cullinan Care Centre‚ welcomed the release of the findings.
The ombudsman said remaining patients at NGOs needed to be moved into hospitals that would care for them.
Makgoba found patients were still at risk because many are at NGOs. He found these were not properly vetted‚ were not given licences‚ were overcrowded‚ unsafe and unhygienic.
Nkosi hopes her brother Sipho will be moved from Cullinan Care centre. She said he was in bad shape.
“We weigh him. He is not picking up weight He hasn’t gone past 55 kg.
“They claim they are giving him food‚ but he is not picking up weight. He is getting medication. But something is not right. Every time we visit him — we weigh him because they may lie about records.”
'Mahlangu resigning is cowardly’‚ says sister of one of 94 psychiatric patients who died
Christine Nxumalo who lost her sister Virginia Macphela after she was moved from Life Esidimeni home to an NGO says Qedani Mahlangu resigning is “cowardly“.
Mahlangu was not at the media conference where Premier David Makura announced the health MEC’s resignation.
She did not attend the media conference where health ombudsman Malegapuru Makgoba detailed how her “fingerprints” were all over the chaotic move to place very sick patients from Life Esidimeni with NGOs.
Makgoba found there were human rights and legal violations that occurred during the move.
Makgoba detailed how Mahlangu and her two heads did not provide necessary information and in some cases had tampered with evidence during his investigation.
Makgoba ruled that if they died in hospital after poor treatment at NGOs‚ it was the NGOs that were responsible for their deaths.
Mahlangu had disputed this.
Nxumalo is furious. She said: “Mahlangu has been lying all this time. She tried to show patients died in hospital and not NGOs. This is manipulation“
She added: “Resigning is a cowardly act‚ I am not surprised. I am yet to stand in front of her.
She needs God in her life. I don’t know how she sleeps every day.”
“If she came here — and at least show her face and defend her actions. Instead she
handing in her resignation the day before‚ it is cowardly.”
Andrew Pieterson‚ spokesperson for the Family Committee of Esidimeni Patients‚ said Mahlangu’s resignation was not enough.
“We have lots of people who lost their loved ones. People are sad. This is not really closure. The MEC resigning is not enough‚ we have to exhaust many options. We wanted her to be fired which would have carried more punch.”
Nompilo Nkosi‚ whose autistic brother is still staying at Cullinan Care Centre‚ welcomed the release of the findings.
The ombudsman said remaining patients at NGOs needed to be moved into hospitals that would care for them.
Makgoba found patients were still at risk because many are at NGOs. He found these were not properly vetted‚ were not given licences‚ were overcrowded‚ unsafe and unhygienic.
Nkosi hopes her brother Sipho will be moved from Cullinan Care centre. She said he was in bad shape.
“We weigh him. He is not picking up weight He hasn’t gone past 55 kg.
“They claim they are giving him food‚ but he is not picking up weight. He is getting medication. But something is not right. Every time we visit him — we weigh him because they may lie about records.”
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