Life Esidemeni inquiry judgement might bring closure - Motsoaledi

PRETORIA - Health minister, Aaron Motsoaledi, says he hopes today's judgment will bring closure to families who lost family members in the Life Esidimeni Tragedy.

Today Judge Mmonoa Teffo found that the deaths at Life Esidimeni were negligently caused by former Gauteng Health MEC Qedani Mahlangu and former provincial health head Makgabo Manamela. 

Back in 2016, over a hundred mental health patients died from neglect and starvation, after being moved from the Life Esidimeni facility to ill-equipped and unlicensed non-governmental organisations. 

The Judge highlighted the fact that, had the former Gauteng Health MEC, Qedani Mahlangu, listened to experts, these deaths could have been avoided.

On the topic of the National Health Insurance, the minister says engagements and conversations around the bill should continue. 

He says this will help residents better understand the bill.

But he says when these discussions happen they shouldn't disadvantage the poor.