Life Esidimeni: Manamela’s late application for postponement dismissed
20 November 2017
Johannesburg - Justice Dikgang Moseneke has dismissed an application by Gauteng Director of Mental Health Dr Mmakgabo Manamela for a four-week postponement in giving testimony on her role in a rushed move of over 3 000 mentally ill patients from Life Esidimeni to various unlicensed NGOs in 2016.
Moseneke said the application was baseless - in terms of facts and law - and consequently dismissed the application.
He requested Manamela to take the stand immediately, something which the crowd welcomed with a round of applause.
Manamela’s lawyer, Lerato Mashilane, said she needed time to prepare herself as a subpoenaed witness, saying she feared that she would be ambushed. She asked to be given access to documents submitted in other testimonies.