By Zelda Venter, IOL Reporter 
Jul 21, 2021
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Pretoria – The inquest into the ill-fated the transfer of more than 2 000 mental health patients from Life Esidimeni Health Care to care centres that did not have licences to look after mental health patients resumes in Pretoria on Wednesday.
The patients were moved despite court applications to challenge the move.
On Tuesday Gauteng Health Department officials were warned that their “marathon project” to transfer 2 600 mentally ill patients from Life Esidimeni could have the same effect as that of two children who died in 2007 due to neglect when they were moved to an NGO.
Dr Basuku Morgan Makhatshwa, the managing director of Life Esidimeni at the time of the tragedy, testified that he told the department that the hasty transfer of the patients could potentially have disastrous consequences.
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Makhatshwa was the second witness to take the stand on the second day of the inquest following the deaths of 144 mentally patients in 2016. The hearing is taking place in the Gauteng High Court, Pretoria, via a virtual hearing.
Makhatshwa testified the department held a trial run in 2007 when they relocated some children who were cared for by Life Esidimeni to a NGO.