R124 million white elephant
Clinic has never been used as patients are treated in tents.
State-of-the-art, but no electricity, sewerage or water.
The dignity of the people of Hammanskraal appears to have been the biggest casualty in an apparent case of bickering between the Tshwane metro municipality and the Gauteng provincial government.
The community north of Pretoria have had to endure primary healthcare services in tents and shipping containers, while the R124-million state-of-the-art Mandisa Shiceka Clinic stands empty next door.
Without bulk services such as sewerage systems, electricity, water supply and storm water drainage systems pipes, the facility, which was reportedly completed in 2017, cannot be used.
Gauteng premier David Makhura, who visited the facility with MEC of health Bandile Masuku and MEC for infrastructure development Taseem Motara in March, blamed the Tshwane metro for failure to connect the facility to bulk services.
But the metro claimed the facility could not be connected to bulk municipal services until the provincial government had addressed outstanding building control and city planning issues.
At the time of Makhura’s visit, the provincial government was in the process of placing the metro under administration.
The clinic has not opened since its construction.
On the neighbouring premises, a tented clinic has been established to treat residents.
Lindela Mashigo, Tshwane metro spokesperson, would not go into detail about the outstanding issues, saying only they were working with the provincial government to “address the necessary approvals to enable connection of services”.
Kenneth Moshoe, African Christian Democratic Party (ACDP) leader, said using a tent to examine patients violated basic human rights such as the right to privacy, dignity and proper healthcare.
“Child vaccines are kept in a cooler box which can only preserve the medication for a maximum of six hours. Thereafter, the vaccine can no longer be used. As a result, children cannot be vaccinated after lunch. This medical negligence puts the lives of young infants in great danger and cannot be tolerated,” he said. Meshoe, who visited the facility last week following pleas from residents and staff, said he suspected the facility was being used as a political ploy in the bigger fight for the control of the metro between the ANC and the DA.
“This is an election tactic used to take advantage of the community which, in essence, gambles with the lives of innocent [citizens],” he said.
Gauteng department of infrastructure development spokesperson Bongiwe Gambu conceded that it had control and city planning issues to address for the Tshwane metro to connect services to the facility.
She said the main concern was the donation for the additional land that would have to be used for parking and outstanding wayleave approvals for bulk services. Several meetings have been held to try and resolve these issues, she claimed.
“The metro administration was taking their decision to council meeting for approval in August last year.
“Unfortunately, the August council meeting was unable to proceed, including all other council meetings after that.
“Therefore council could not finalise the decision [and approve the decision to donate the land and approve the wayleave],” Gambu said.
They gamble with the lives of innocent citizens