In 2016 144 people with mental health problems died after they were moved from Life Esidimeni, a highly specialised, long-term psychiatric care hospital, to ill-equipped and unlicensed NGOs and community care facilities in one of the biggest human rights infringements in democratic South Africa. Newspaper headlines across South Africa shook the nation to its core, relaying the first horrific deaths of mental health patients at the hands of a system that was supposed to protect them. What became known as the Life Esidimeni tragedy sparked a long and very public fight for justice for the 144 patients who died from gross neglect and starvation. It emerged that many of the patients at the unlicensed NGOs had been tortured, abused, punished and in some cases deprived of food, water and adequate shelter and sanitation. The patients were not given the medicine or treatment they needed. Many developed dehydration, secondary infections like pneumonia and uncontrolled seizures. The NGOs were not staffed with trained healthcare professionals, lacked appropriate medicine and equipment and in some cases even basic infrastructure such as beds, bedding and sanitation. For the victims' families justice hinges on the Life Esidimeni Inquest. Judge Teffo will hand down a judgment in the Pretoria High Court. It will determine whether the then MEC for health in Gauteng, Qedani Mahlangu, former Gauteng mental health head Dr Makgabo Manamela and Ethel Ncube the owner of the Precious Angels NGO (20 patients died), are criminally liable for the deaths.