Gauteng Premier must resign for failure to prevent 94 patient deaths
2 February 2017
Gauteng Premier David Makhura cannot escape accountability for the horrifying deaths of at least 94 mental health patients as revealed by Health Ombudsman Malegapuru Makgoba.
He should have acted decisively last year when it was first disclosed on 13 September that 36 patients had died in unsuitable NGOs after they were transferred there from Life Healthcare Esidimeni.
There was no need to wait for the findings of the Health Ombud's report as there was enough evidence for everyone to see that things had gone disastrously wrong.
There were manifold reports in the media, two court cases and demonstrations by the relatives of deceased mental health patients.