NGOs were ‘not fit for purpose’, Barney Selebano finally admits at hearing
"There was great pressure to move patients to NGOs after the Esidimeni contract was cancelled"
Pressure to place patients in nongovernmental organisations (NGOs) came from former Gauteng health MEC Qedani Mahlangu. This is one of the admissions suspended Gauteng health head of department Barney Selebano was forced to make while on the stand at the Life Esidimeni hearing. Evidence leader Patrick Ngutshana said in response: "Now we are getting somewhere." Selebano was forced to testify at the Life Esidimeni hearing after losing his court bid to challenge a subpoena on Monday. He testified that "some" NGOs, including Precious Angels, took in more mentally ill patients than they could cope with so that they could make more money‚ calling it a "numbers game". Twenty patients died at Precious Angels. Selebano admitted that there was great pressure to move patients into NGOs after the Life Esidimeni homes contract was cancelled‚ but would not be drawn on who cancelled the contract, leaving almost 1‚700 severely mentally ill and intellectually disabled patients without homes. He said...
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