Life Esidimeni: Moseneke orders govt to pay R1,2m to victims' families
Justice Dikgang Moseneke has ordered the State to pay each of the claimants in the Esidimeni tragedy R1,2-million compensation.
Moseneke - who has chaired the arbitration hearings - announced other awards that government must pay the affected families.
"The government of the Republic of South Africa is ordered to pay the agreed amount of R20 000 to each of the claimants in respect of funeral expenses. The government is also ordered to pay R180 000 to each of the claimants listed in Annexures A, B and C in respect of damages for shock and psychological trauma," Moseneke said.
More than 140 mentally-ill patients have died after hundreds of psychiatric patients were unlawfully moved from Life Esidimeni care facilities after the Gauteng Health Department terminated the service level contract - citing cost-cutting measures.
The patients were placed in mostly unlicensed NGOs around that province.
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Moseneke has found that officials who were involved in the transfer project were in breach of the Constitution and contravened the National Health Act and the Mental Health Act.
Moseneke has indicated when the pay-outs must be made.
"The amounts in Paragraph 1, 2, and 3 must be paid by the government in lump sum not later than three months from the date of publication of this award and in any event not later than 19 June 2018," he said.
Moseneke has also found that former Gauteng Health, MEC Qedani Mahlangu and former Health HOD, Dr Barney Selebano lied about why the Life Esidimeni contract was cancelled.