Lawyers from AfriForum's private prosecution unit and public interest law centre SECTION27 called for criminal charges against key witnesses in the Life Esidimeni inquest on Thursday.

With the resumption of the Life Esidimeni inquest at the Gauteng Division of the High Court in Pretoria on Thursday, advocates from public interest law centre SECTION27 and AfriForum's private prosecution unit asked the court to recommend criminal charges against key witnesses.

SECTION27 argued for culpable homicide charges to be instituted against Gauteng Health MEC, Qedani Mahlangu, former Gauteng mental health head, Dr Makgabo Manamela, and the owner of Precious Angels NGO, Ethel Ncube.

"[There are] 141 deaths that are on the docket in this inquest. In other words, what we were talking about is a mass atrocity, and we submit that it would not have occurred if it were not for the conduct of Ms Mahlangu, Dr Manamela and ... Ms Ncube," said Advocate Adila Hassim representing SECTION27.

The purpose of the inquest, which began in July 2021, is to determine liability and cause of the deaths of 141 mental healthcare users who were moved from the Life Esidimeni health facility to non-governmental organisations in 2016.

They were part of a group of more than 1,500 patients who were transferred out of Life Esidimeni when the Gauteng Department of Health terminated its long-standing contract with the service provider....