DA challenges legal fees for Qedani Mahlangu in Esidimeni inquest
20 April 2023
The Democratic Alliance has written to Justice Minister Ronald Lamola to challenge the State Attorney paying her legal fees in the Life Esidimeni inquest into the deaths of 144 mental health patients who died when she was Gauteng Health MEC.
DA Shadow Minister for Justice Glynnis Breytenbach sent him a letter yesterday requesting full reasons why the State is continuing to pay for Mahlangu’s legal fees even though she resigned from her position in 2017.
Mahlangu’s estimated legal costs are reportedly about R250 000 for a single day’s work.
It is outrageous that taxpayers are paying for Mahlangu’s exorbitant legal fees when she is the prime culprit who pushed for 1500 mental patients to be sent to NGOs that mistreated them.