The sister of a Life Esidimeni victim is worried that the resignation of suspended Gauteng health department director of mental health‚ Makgabo Manamela‚ would get her off the hook.

Christine Nxumalo‚ whose sister Virginia Machpelah died in the tragedy‚ spoke to the publication in the wake of Manamela stepping down. In total‚ 143 mentally ill people lost their lives.

"It's convenient [and] the timing is suspect. It seems discussed and planned‚" Nxumalo said.

"Resigning is not taking accountability. Manamela and [former head of department] Barney Selebano keep their benefits and life goes on."

Selebano resigned on Tuesday.

Adding to the family's heartache‚ Machpelah's daughter‚ Shanice‚ collapsed and died the day the Esidimeni hearings started. She had just turned 21. The cause of her death has not been disclosed‚ but Nxumalo believes the stress of the disaster played a role.

By resigning‚ Manamela – the woman who implemented what led to the Life Esidimeni scandal – will avoid completing her internal disciplinary hearing at the Gauteng health department.

Gauteng Premier David Makhura's spokesman Thabo Masebe said the resignation would not affect police investigations. The Hawks and Special Investigating Unit are investigating the tragedy.

The health ombudsman‚ who also investigated the incident‚ identified Manamela as one of the officials whose fingerprints were "peppered" throughout the project.

Manamela has been on full pay for nearly a year after being suspended in February 2017.

Controversy has plagued Manamela throughout the process. She initially tried to avoid appearing at the Esidimeni arbitration hearings by ignoring her first subpoena‚ due to an error regarding the date. She then unsuccessfully asked for a postponement before testifying and took two days sick leave during the hearings. Finally‚ she appeared after being threatened with a warrant for her arrest.

But even during that testimony‚ Judge Dikgang Moseneke frequently became irritated with her failure to answer questions on the stand and her apparent lack of remorse.

Multiple witnesses testified at the hearings how Manamela was the person who implemented the project‚ forced people into the ultimately deadly NGOs after some patients had already died in them‚ and was even aware that one government employee was paid to transport a victim's body.

Manamela said she had been treated "unfairly" at the hearings.