The mother of Shonisani Lethole, who died after being starved while admitted at Tembisa Hospital during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, is calling for arrests and accountability in the wake of a multibillion-rand corruption scandal linked to the hospital.
In July 2020, Shonisani publicly appealed for help, saying he had gone without food for two days. Just five days later, he passed away, sparking outrage across South Africa. An investigation later confirmed he had been left unfed for more than 100 hours and subjected to shocking neglect.
His mother, Patricia Lethole, says the family’s pain has only deepened as details of the corruption surfaced. A Special Investigating Unit report revealed that more than R2 billion was looted through fraudulent contracts at Tembisa Hospital, implicating several syndicates and at least 15 hospital employees. The scandal came to light after the assassination of whistleblower Babita Deokaran, who uncovered suspicious payments linked to the hospital.
Patricia insists her son’s death was preventable and demands that those responsible be prosecuted. She also called for symbolic justice by naming hospital boardrooms after Shonisani and Deokaran, as a reminder of the human cost of corruption.
“This hospital was supposed to save lives, not destroy them,” she said. “Our family will not stay silent until there is justice.”
For many, Shonisani’s story stands as a powerful reminder of how greed and neglect in the healthcare system can turn hospitals into places of tragedy instead of healing.