Former Gauteng health MEC Qedani Mahlangu told the Life Esidimeni inquest she was not solely responsible for the decision to move mental health patients to NGOs.

Mahlangu testified virtually before the inquest in the Gauteng High Court in Pretoria.

The inquest aims to determine if anyone can be held criminally liable for the deaths of 141 mental health patients who died after being moved to NGOs from Life Esidimeni facilities.

She said the department employed highly skilled and experienced experts, which meant she could not be directly involved in the day-to-day decisions as the MEC. 

"The decisions, including terminating Life Esidimeni and all the other contracts that were terminated that affected patient health care, were done with a competent team and led by people who were the authority.

I was probably the only person in the department with no qualification or medical degree," she said.

Mahlangu said she was re-elected to the provincial legislature in 2014 and served under former Gauteng premier David Makhura. She said the premier was aware of the termination of the Life Esidimeni contract. 

She said Makhura's budget committee, which she was a member of, agreed to terminate it.

Mahlangu added that she met with the families before the termination of the contract to allay their fears. 

"I interacted with the families and gave them my work mobile number, which was paid for by the state. I encouraged them to talk to me. It was not uncharacteristic of me to share my mobile number with the citizens of Gauteng, she said.

In October last year, Dr Makgabo Manamela, former Gauteng mental health head, said there were 1 442 patients at Life Esidimeni hospitals when the department terminated the contract, while the province had only 116 free NGO beds.

Mahlangu said the deaths of Life Esidimeni patients were regrettable. She apologised to families who lost loved ones, saying the scandal affected her and that she received counselling.