DA warns against “Esidimeni repeat” over planned patient relocation

The Democratic Alliance has raised their concerns about the relocation of 172 mental health patients from the Talisman Foundation in southern Johannesburg, which raises parallels with the Life Esidimeni tragedy.

DA Gauteng Shadow MEC for Health Dr Jack Bloom said the landlord has given notice that psychiatric patients need to be moved from the foundation by mid-May. However, he said there were warning signs about the process followed and the inadequacy of alternative placements. 

Bloom said there was a lack of transparency about where the patients were going, uncertainty about the readiness and suitability of receiving facilities, and families and caregivers have not been consulted.

“It is deeply worrying if decisions are primarily driven by administrative or financial considerations rather than clinical best practice and patient welfare. We cannot ignore the painful lessons of Esidimeni, where 144 patients died after being transferred to unlicensed and ill-equipped NGOs in a reckless cost-cutting exercise.”

“Any relocation of mental health patients must be done with full transparency, proper clinical oversight, meaningful family consultation, and strict adherence to legal and ethical standards. Failure to do so risks repeating one of the worst human rights tragedies in our democratic history,” said Bloom.

The National Prosecuting Authority on Monday announced that it will prosecute individuals implicated in the Life Esidimeni tragedy.

The DA said it will closely monitor this situation and demand full accountability from the Gauteng Department of Health to ensure that patient safety is not compromised.