WATCH: Maimane says there’s a ‘special place’ reserved for ‘murderer’ Makhura
DA leader Mmusi Maimane marched with his supporters to the premier's office on Tuesday morning.
Leader of the Democratic Alliance (DA) Mmusi Maimane greets supporters during a picket outside the office of the Gauteng Premier David Makhura, 28 February 2017, in Johannesburg. The group was protesting following the mistreatment and death of over 100 mentally ill patients in the Life Esidimeni tragedy. Picture: Michel Bega
The DA’s official Facebook page posted the following video of DA leader Mmusi Maimane protesting outside Gauteng Premier David Makhura’s office.
“There is a special place reserved … for [killing] people who are unable to defend themselves as the disabled … that place is a special place for murderers … for people who are corrupt … phansi ANC, phansi!” the DA leader charged.
He said it wasn’t just about politics, but somebody needed to be accountable.
Premier Makhura declared he did not know anything about the decision to transfer Life Esidimeni psychiatric to unlicensed NGOs, but the DA has provided documentary evidence that he was made aware of the situation but did not act against it.
“Makhura has no excuse; he can’t say he did not know.”
The DA’s demands include that Makhura must resign “if he has any morality left in him”.
He charged that the ANC in Gauteng was not “the better ANC”.
“It’s the whole ANC that’s destroying our healthcare.”
He said if Makhura was not voted out during a vote of no confidence brought against him in the legislature, then those voting in his favour would have the blood of the dead mental health patients on their hands.
He also wanted President Jacob Zuma to institute a judicial commission of inquiry into the deaths.
Maimane said they were demanding compensation for all the families who had lost their loved ones.
“Every single life must have an inquest … because many people were shipped off without their families knowing … we need closure.”
He said Speaker Baleka Mbete did not care enough to have a moment of silence for the victims, while Zuma could only show action when installing Brian Molefe as an MP “because that is corruption”.
Watch Maimane’s full speech below:
