Systemic failures and human rights violations: lessons from the Life Esidimeni Tragedy
Suares Clovis Oukouomi Noutchie ORCID ↗
International Journal of Research in Business and Social Science · 2024 · Vol. 13 / Issue 7 · 579-584
Publication metrics
External links open provider records or DOI searches. Provider counts are not combined. Mendeley readership measures saves, not citations.
Dimensions
Live provider badge. If unavailable, use the Dimensions link above.
Observed 21 Oct 2026, 07:22 UTC
Observed 21 Oct 2026 07:22 UTC
OpenAlex and Mendeley observations refresh on article visits, at most once per 24 hours. Unavailable data is not zero. Google Scholar opens a DOI search.
Citations received by this article, grouped by the year of the citing work. Crossref and OpenAlex lifetime totals remain separate in Publication metrics.
2017–2026 Annual history last updated:
Citations received
OpenAlex · year of the citing work
Hover over a year or focus the chart and use arrow keys to inspect values.
2017–2026 annual-history window. 2026 is year to date. Unknown years have gaps.
View data & coverage
2026 is incomplete. Within a successfully fetched ten-year window, omitted years mean zero. Years beyond a saved observation’s window remain unknown (—). Older citations are excluded, so this chart’s sum may differ from the OpenAlex lifetime total. The date above belongs to this annual history; an unsuccessful refresh keeps the previous observation.
Abstract
The Life Esidimeni tragedy represents one of the most egregious human rights violations in South Africa's contemporary history. This article examines the series of events that led to the deaths of 141 mental healthcare patients and the severe maltreatment of over 1,400 others following their forced relocation from the Life Esidimeni facility to various unlicensed NGOs. The Gauteng Department of Health's decision to end its contract with Life Esidimeni without adequate planning or consultation led to a humanitarian disaster characterized by neglect, abuse, and gross violations of human rights. This paper reviews the timeline of events, the systemic failures, and the outcomes of various inquiries and legal proceedings, drawing lessons from the incident to inform future healthcare policies and practices. The findings emphasize the need for stringent oversight, transparent decision-making processes, and the protection of vulnerable populations in healthcare settings. The discussion reflects on the broader implications for mental healthcare reform and the importance of accountability and justice in preventing such tragedies. It also underlines the necessity of comprehensive policy frameworks and robust enforcement mechanisms to safeguard the rights and well-being of mental healthcare users.
Keywords: {'name': 'Mental healthcare'}, {'name': 'human rights violations'}, {'name': 'healthcare mismanagement'}, {'name': 'Life Esidimeni'}, {'name': 'patient abuse'}, {'name': 'healthcare policy'}, {'name': 'South Africa'}
Authors & affiliations
Suares Clovis Oukouomi Noutchie
Affiliation not supplied
Deposited references
Supplied references, not a list of publications citing this article.
Smit, S. L. (2018). Structural inequality in healthcare: Addressing epistemic injustice in the case of Life Esidimeni (Doctoral dissertation, University of Pretoria, South Africa). ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global. (30709779)
Makgoba, M. W. (2017). The report into the circumstances surrounding the deaths of mentally ill patients: Gauteng Province. Pretoria: Office of the Health Ombud. https://www.lifeesidimeni.org.za/what-happened/uncovering-the-truth/the-ombuds-report
DOI: 10.1192/bjp.bp.112.111377
Francis, R. (2013). Report of the Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust Public Inquiry. London: The Stationery Office. http://www.midstaffspublicinquiry.com/sites/default/files/report/Executive%20summary.pdf
DOI: 10.1186/s12960-020-00545-0
Mental Disability Advocacy Center. (2011). Croatia: Report on the implementation of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. https://www.mdac.org/en/croatiareport2011
Moseneke, D. (2018, March 19). Families of Mental Health Care Users Affected by the Gauteng Mental Marathon Project v. National Minister of Health of the Republic of South Africa and Others, arbitration award. Retrieved from https://www.saflii.org/images/LifeEsidimeniArbitrationAward.pdf
Section27. (n.d.). Life Esidimeni. Retrieved July 29, 2024, from https://section27.org.za/campaigns/life-esidimeni/