A Limpopo woman who lost two of her grandmothers at a dilapidated old-age centre said the Vuthlari Old Age and Disability Centre could be another Life Esidimeni tragedy waiting to happen.
Life Esidimeni relates to the Gauteng public health tragedy that resulted in the deaths of 144 mental health patients. Twenty-one other patients remain missing since 2016.
Tshepo Mokgonatsi said she recently lost her grandmothers, Mohlao Selowa and Puledi Modiba, after they endured inhumane treatment at the centre in Roerfontein in the Sekgosese area.
The hospice is currently being investigated after its founder, Pheko Baloyi, allegedly disappeared before instructing his employees to deny MEC for social development Florence Radzilani access to the facility.
Radzilani made a surprise visit to the facility after widespread reports on the inhumane conditions and treatment of patients went viral on social media platforms.
Mokgonatsi said when her grandmothers were still booked there, they were treated like animals without rights.
Dressed like mad people
“The other day I went to the centre to check up on the grandmothers, and when I arrived, the owner was not pleased by my unannounced visit,” said Mokgonatsi.
“I had to wait for a long time at the waiting area, thinking that they were preparing them to meet me. But when they finally arrived, all of them were dressed like mad people.
He said they had a foul smell and appeared to be well mentally. They were clearly malnourished, an indication that they were not eating well and not bathing.
“We then decided to take Selowa to Kgapane Hospital and Modiba home. Selowa later died in the hospital, while Modiba died at home.”
The hospice caters for over 20 patients who, after being booked in, hand over their Sassa cards, which the owner of the hospice will withdraw funds from the cars.
However, social media reports confirm that the elderly are subjected to sleeping on the floor with thin, tattered blankets and not given a proper diet.
Radzilani has described the conditions of the facility as unacceptable and requiring urgent attention.
“Our major concern is the dire conditions our elderly people are subjected to. As government, we have a responsibility to protect their human rights.
“We will do everything in our power to intervene and rescue these patients from the terrible conditions they find themselves in,” she said.
Disturbing images
The chairperson of the portfolio committee on social development, Bridget Masango, said she has noted with regret disturbing images confirming the dire situation at Vuthlari Old Age and Disability Centre.
“The committee is calling on the relevant government departments at all the spheres of government for a swift and qualitative intervention to Vuthlari Old Age and Disability Centre to salvage the older persons in that very bad situation. The committee is calling for the provision of basic services to the older persons.
“We are not calling for an extraordinary service, but just a constitutional right to a decent life.”
Since then, Baloyi has acknowledged that some conditions at the facility are dire and claimed that mentally ill patients staying at the hospice broke some of the windows.
“Due to lack of funding, we cannot use the money meant for food to fix the windows. We have been struggling since the social development department stopped funding in 2016.
“The home relies solely on donations and a portion of the Sassa grants from the patients,” said Baloyi.
