Portraits of Lives Lost: ‘I felt something was wrong’ — the lamentation of a grieving mother

The inquest into the Life Esidimeni tragedy will determine whether there can be any criminal liability for the deaths of 144 mental healthcare patients who died in the care of the South African public health system. They died from neglect, starvation, torture and abuse. 

The inquest, being held via Zoom, is often mired in legal debate and technical mishaps. It can be easy to forget that people are at the heart of this horrific human tragedy.  

Their lives and stories matter. The inquest is primarily about their pain, struggle for answers and the ongoing fight for justice. 

The photograph above was taken at a party at Life Esidimeni Randfontein. Even though he was blind and couldn’t talk, Jeremiah loved parties. His mother Anna, says she really wanted to bring him home for his 50th birthday.

Jeremiah was moved to Cullinan Care and Rehabilitation Centre without Anna knowing and she spent two months desperately looking for him.

“I felt something was wrong,” she says.

In July, Anna eventually found out that he was at Precious Angels. She called and asked the person on the phone if Jeremiah Modise was there and how he was.

“I can't say anything. Who are you?” the person said.

“I am his mother,” Anna replied and the person put down the phone. She tried calling again.

Eventually, she was called by Precious Angels who told her that Jeremiah had died. If she didn’t fetch the body, they would bury him. Anna then spent three days trying to find Jeremiah's body.

“My God! All I wanted was my son’s body, and I drove so far just to find him.”

Finally, she found her son’s decomposed body in the mortuary of the hospital. 

“I can never forget how he looked there. I can never get that picture out my mind. No mother should have to find her child like that.” DM

This series of weekly portraits of those who died in the Life Esidimeni tragedy and the stories of the loved ones left behind are also available on the website.  www.lifeesidimeni.org.za