The Democratic Alliance in Gauteng mourns the death of Thato Monsho who died of cancer at the age of 41 on 2 January this year.
She was a brave fighter who fell victim to the Gauteng Health Department’s failure to provide timely radiation treatment to thousands of cancer patients despite an available budget.
Thato was in the forefront of challenging Premier Panyaza Lesufi and the Department for their negligence, which resulted in a court ruling on 27 March 2025 that the failure to provide treatment was unlawful and unconstitutional.
According to the DA’s Cancer Scandal Monitor it is now 287 days since this ruling, but the Premier has still not fired Health MEC Nomantu Nkomo-Ralehoko, who has continued to tie up this issue in court instead of working with cancer NGOs.
Premier Lesufi only apologised to cancer patients for the treatment delays in May last year after I challenged him in the Gauteng Legislature. Thato then wrote the following stinging open letter;
“Dear Panyaza,
I’m not going to call you Premier simply because of how you have disrespected me/us as a cancer patients and how you are all mouth but not actions.
Your apology is too late to cancer patients like me, whom I will never get to enjoy my life because I live in fear of another reoccurrence and that my daughter will never be able to enjoy her mother because of your arrogant apology.
Your apology feels like you are rubbing salt to my/our wound.
I have had reoccurrences from 2021 to date because of your people in high offices failed to use the R784 million to patients like me.
Yes, this case was not supposed to end up in court if only work was done, NGOs would not be told by you that they lack an understanding of trust in the department.
I would not have had five(5) reoccurrences if only that so-called department was doing its work.”
Premier Lesufi subsequently met with her, but she stood her ground.
Her death exposes the moral bankruptcy of those responsible for the cancer treatment scandal which has led to more lives lost than the 144 mental patients who died in the Life Esidimeni disaster.
The DA will continue to pressure the Premier and Health MEC with motions and questions in the Legislature to root out the poor management and endemic corruption that leads to lives lost in our health services.