The tragedy of 144 people with mental illness, who had lost their lives in 2016 in the care of the public health system, from neglect and starvation, will never be forgotten, especially as a book which delves into the heartbreaking event has now been published.
“Life Esidimeni: Portraits of Lives Lost”, by Harriet Perlman and Mark Lewis, explores the ongoing struggle for better mental healthcare in South Africa and the urgent need to ensure such a tragedy never happens again.
This is a call to action, urging readers to engage with the ongoing fight for mental health reform.
When writer Perlman and photographer Lewis set about documenting the lives of the families whose loved ones had died so horribly in the Life Esidimeni tragedy, they were determined to honour the dead, and to recognise the sufferings of those left behind.
They travelled, often long distances, to people’s homes, and listened to their stories. Family members brought out pictures that they selected of their brother, parents, sister or child who had died. Each picture held meaning for those left behind.
They met with families grappling with the unimaginable loss of loved ones. Their heartbreaking stories, accompanied by powerful photographs, forge a deep connection with the victims. These portraits are not just faces on a page, but a testament to the human cost of this tragedy.
This book pays tribute to the people who had someone they loved cruelly taken from them and tells the story of those who fought back.
“We need everyone in this country to see and hear this story. We must put it out there so people understand what happened, how it happened and why. Or will we just forget and learn nothing? I lost my sister in the tragedy and some mornings I still can’t get up,” Christine Nxumalo, part of the Life Esidimeni Family Committee, said.
According to her, it is the manner in which her sister died that makes it so hard to bear. “We all just want answers. We must continue to speak out.”
The book is a harrowing account of the death, torture and disappearance of utterly vulnerable mental health care users in the care of an admittedly delinquent provincial government. It is also a story of the suffering and public anguish of the families of the affected health-care users and of the collective shock and pain of many other caring people in our land and elsewhere in the world.
This book is not merely a chronicle of loss; it is a celebration of resilience and courage.
It shines a light on the tireless efforts of organisations like Section27, SADAG and the Life Esidimeni Family Committee which fought relentlessly for truth, justice and accountability, holding those in power responsible for their actions.
It is also a stark reminder of how horribly wrong things can get with an arrogant, callous and unaccountable political leadership.
But a measure of justice has been achieved. Presided over by former deputy chief justice Dikgang Moseneke, families were awarded damages for the loss of their loved ones in the arbitration in 2021.
In that July, Judge Mmonoa Teffo pronounced her findings from the inquest and found that the deaths were caused by the negligence of former Gauteng health MEC Qedani Mahlangu and former Gauteng director of mental health, Dr Makgabo Manamela.
Sasha Stevenson, director of Section27, said the fight for true justice continues. “The book explores the ongoing struggle for better mental healthcare in South Africa and the urgent need to ensure such a tragedy never happens again. This is a call to action, urging readers to engage with the ongoing fight for mental health reform,” she added.
Pretoria News