Tiego Ephraim Selebano faced yet another difficult day of cross-examination at the Pretoria High Court, accounting for the 140-plus psychiatric patients who died in 2016 after being moved from Life Esidimeni.
Selebano, who is the former head of health department in Gauteng, started his testimony on Monday when he was grilled about his knowledge of the state of the non-government organisations (NGO) where the patients were taken to.
He shared that it was former minister of health Aaron Motsoaledi who called for the NGOs to be closed after the death of the patients.
Asked about the apology he issued through his legal representative to the families of the deceased, Selebano said as a leader, he had to take accountability.
“Under watch we learnt in August that the patients that have been moved to NGOs passed away. There were lives that were lost, so when you are a leader and you believe in your own leadership, the important thing is when things happen in a negative way, you apologise,” said Selebano.
“Leaders cannot only take accolades for the good. I did not even know the actual facts of what transpired. Do I have more knowledge now of what transpired? Yes, but that does not matter, my apology still stands.”
After a long day on the stand, judge Jowie Teffo adjourned the proceedings.
“The witness can go and rest, we will resume tomorrow, the 14th of September 2022. The witness is warned that as he took an oath on Monday, the same oath will still prevail tomorrow, as we continue with cross-examination,” said Teffo.
Also expected to appear on Wednesday is Makgoba Manamela, the former Gauteng health director. This after she delayed her appearance three times.
Manamela submitted an affidavit last week requesting for a postponement. She said she was not ready to appear due to ill-health.
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