GAUTENG SANCO WANTS MAKHURA TO STEP ASIDE

BY STAFF REPORTER
The South African National Civil Organization (SANCO) in Gauteng is gunning for the head of Premier David Makhura for the Life Esidimeni tragedy which resulted into the death of 144 mentally ill patients.
The civic organization is calling for Makhura to step aside after he was implicated by former Gauteng Health MEC, Qedani Mahlangu during an inquest hearing into the death of the patients at the North Gauteng High Court in Pretoria last week.
Mahlangu through her legal representative told the hearing she was not personally liable for the transfer of the patients from Life Esidimeni to bogus care centres saying she acted on advice from of the provincial health department. “The ultimate decision to transfer the mental health patients was taken by the premier,” she said.
SANCO spokesperson, Thamsanqa Kente told Timeless during interview that they want the same yard stick used when dealing with a Dr Bandile Masuku issue, for his alleged involvement in the PPE tender scandal, to be used.
“Qedani Mahlangu made some shocking revelations which implicated the Premier. Now based on the precedence, set by the same premier in how he dismissed Masuku, only on the basis of allegations, we find that precedence correct to be applied in his case,” Kente said. “The ANC has to be consistent and not purge people along factional lines. If the premier will not step aside, it would mean that our assertion all along that others were purged because they were in the wrong faction is true,” he said.
Kente said the premier has been in many such allegations and has always shifted blame to either government officials or members of his executive council.
“So if people had to take a fall on the basis of allegations, why must it be farfetched to think that the premier must step aside when his former member of his executive council points him as the ultimate authority on the transfer of those 144 patients who died,” he said.
Kente also said they have written a letter to the Gauteng ANC secretary explaining their position on the matter.
He added that they are also consulting with other alliance partners. “We will be seeking audience with both COSATU and the SACP in Gauteng about this matter,” he said.
Qedani Mahlangu, who was Gauteng Health , resigned in 2017 after the release of a report by the health ombudsman, on the circumstances surrounding the deaths of 144 mentally-ill patients.
The patients died at various nongovernmental centres across Gauteng in October 2015 after they were removed from Life Esidimeni Healthcare after the Gauteng department of health terminated its contract in order to save money.