The Life Esidimeni Family Committee has requested the Gauteng Office of the Premier to host a healing session on behalf of the 144 bereaved family members

The Gauteng government, Gauteng Department of Social Development together with the Gauteng Department of Health will host a healing session for the 144 bereaved family members of the Gauteng Marathon Project.

The session will allow families, who have not told their stories either through testimonies at the arbitration hearings or through the 1st healing session, which took place on the 18th February 2017; to tell their stories. This platform also allows the Provincial Government to reflect on the activities thus far, to offer a public apology and to pledge that this will never happen again in our life time.

This forms part of the interventions to help the bereaved families through the pain and grief and for families to start accepting the loss. The healing session initiates the stages, of mourning, starting with grief, shock, denial, anger, depression and detachment, dialogue, bargaining and finally, acceptance. We also take special note that each family may be at different stage of the mourning cycle.

Members of the media are invited as follows:

Date:               Saturday, 17 February 2018

Venue:           Freedom Park, Cnr Koch and 7th Avenue, Salvokop, Tshwane

Time:              08h00 – 14h00

For more information contact Ngqabutho Mpofu on 061807 6443 or on mpofu@section27.org.za