It was a sombre day on Saturday as families of the Life Esidimeni victims gathered at the Johannesburg Holocaust and Genocide Centre in remembrance of their loved ones.
Those who attended had their faces filled with tears, proof that seven years later, the pain still runs deep.
The bereaved families vocalised their longing for closure and want the people who are linked to the deaths of their family members to take accountability.
Sasha Stevenson from Section 27 told the gathering that the inquest, which will go on recess for December holidays, will resume in January for another 10 weeks.
The inquest is expected to reveal if the implicated officials should be held criminally accountable for the deaths of 144 mental health patients and 21 people confirmed missing since 2016.
Stevenson said it has been a strenuous journey.
“The purpose of this inquest is to identify the personal people who have died, the date of their deaths, and tell us whether an act or omission by any person caused or contributed to the deaths of the people,” said Stevenson.
“We want to show a human face in this because it was not a mass death, but 144 individuals lost their lives because a bad decision was made months before the deaths and certain people need to be held accountable for that.”
Some family members who attended the event have lost hope that justice will ever be served, because of the inquest dragging on.
Life Esidimeni Family Committee member Christine Nxumalo said, however, that they will not stop the fight, because they want the officials to be held accountable.
“In the end, we want the system changed, for every official to know that whatever decision they take that could result to the harm, hurt or death of anybody, must be punished,” Nxumalo said.
“Mental health does not knock when it comes, so as the families we want to hold the government accountable. We still want a monument in a form of a mental health hospital, because this one illness out of many illnesses is not taken seriously in South Africa.”
The inquest has heard from former head of department at the Gauteng health department, Dr Barney Selebano. Currently on the dock is former top official at the department Dr Makgabo Manamela, who will be followed by former health MEC Qedani Mahlangu.
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