Health Committee agrees to DA’s request to urgently address Esidimeni deaths

7 February 2017

The DA welcomes the Acting Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Health, Mr Fish Mahlalela’s, decision to agree to the DA’s requests to deal urgently with the Esidimeni tragedy in Parliament.

At the DA’s request, the Committee agreed to:

- Request Minister Aaron Motsoaledi to officially table the Esidimeni Report in Parliament.

- Ombud Malegapuru Makgoba to present the report before the Health Committee.

- Parliament to debate the deaths as a matter of national importance.

The Chairperson’s decision must be commended and is an important step to ensuring that this kind of tragedy will never be repeated again.

This tragedy has brought to light the severe inadequacies of our health care system. If South Africa had an efficient healthcare facility surveillance system, we would have been able to prevent these deaths.

The DA will continue to fight to ensure that those responsible for these deaths are held accountable and that the correct steps are taken to ensure a tragedy like this never happens again.

Issued by Wilmot James, DA Shadow Minister of Health, 7 February 2017