0 ALL NOTES RIGHTS RESERVED TO CHRISTIAN LEES
, 1 ALL NOTES RIGHTS RESERVED TO CHRISTIAN LEES
ECLIPSED - SYLVAINE STRIKE AND THE MARKET THEATRE LAB
HOW THE PLAY CAME TO BE
The play is known as a Devised Play. It was created alongside Sylvaine Strike, Gina
Shmukler, Phumlani Mndebele and the Market Theatre Laboratory 1st Year
Students of 2019. It was created to demonstrate an awareness about the Life
Esidimeni Tragedy. Sylvaine Strike was worried about the mental health of young
South Africans and created the play with Life Esidimeni as the engine. She wanted
the audiences to watch the play and be proactive in doing so. The playe was
devised through Tracking, Verbatim Theatre, Research and Personal Response.
HISTORICAL CONTEXT - THe life esidemini tragedy
In October 2015, the Gauteng Executive Council for health terminated their
40-year contract with Life Esidimeni. It’s alleged that Qedani Mahlangu, the
political head of the MEC, terminated the contract to save money and in an attempt
to “deinstitutionalise” the patients. The patients were relocated to cheaper care
centres (NGO facilities, psychiatric hospitals and community care facilites) many of
which were later found to be unlicensed. There were some 1711 state patients
relocated. It involved the death of 144 people at these “care centres” between
March and Decemeber 2016. Esidemeni ironically translates as “place of dignity”.
As of 2021 no criminal charges had been laid against any individuals. The families
of the deceased were legally represented by SECTION27 and the survivors, by Legal
Aid Suth Africa. The arbitration began on 9 October 2017. It was originally
estimated to take only 3 days but it spanned 45 days, with 60 witnesses testifying
and two days’ worth of legal arguments brought before the arbitrator. MEC Qedani
Mahlangu, whose fingerprints were found to be “peppered” all over the Life
Esidimeni tragedy.
, 1 ALL NOTES RIGHTS RESERVED TO CHRISTIAN LEES
ECLIPSED - SYLVAINE STRIKE AND THE MARKET THEATRE LAB
HOW THE PLAY CAME TO BE
The play is known as a Devised Play. It was created alongside Sylvaine Strike, Gina
Shmukler, Phumlani Mndebele and the Market Theatre Laboratory 1st Year
Students of 2019. It was created to demonstrate an awareness about the Life
Esidimeni Tragedy. Sylvaine Strike was worried about the mental health of young
South Africans and created the play with Life Esidimeni as the engine. She wanted
the audiences to watch the play and be proactive in doing so. The playe was
devised through Tracking, Verbatim Theatre, Research and Personal Response.
HISTORICAL CONTEXT - THe life esidemini tragedy
In October 2015, the Gauteng Executive Council for health terminated their
40-year contract with Life Esidimeni. It’s alleged that Qedani Mahlangu, the
political head of the MEC, terminated the contract to save money and in an attempt
to “deinstitutionalise” the patients. The patients were relocated to cheaper care
centres (NGO facilities, psychiatric hospitals and community care facilites) many of
which were later found to be unlicensed. There were some 1711 state patients
relocated. It involved the death of 144 people at these “care centres” between
March and Decemeber 2016. Esidemeni ironically translates as “place of dignity”.
As of 2021 no criminal charges had been laid against any individuals. The families
of the deceased were legally represented by SECTION27 and the survivors, by Legal
Aid Suth Africa. The arbitration began on 9 October 2017. It was originally
estimated to take only 3 days but it spanned 45 days, with 60 witnesses testifying
and two days’ worth of legal arguments brought before the arbitrator. MEC Qedani
Mahlangu, whose fingerprints were found to be “peppered” all over the Life
Esidimeni tragedy.
