Pretoria - The African Christian Democratic Party (ACDP) wants to mobilise the community of Hammanskraal to protest against the fact that a clinic, which was completed a year ago, is yet to open.
The Mandisa Shiceka Clinic, built at a cost of R124 million, remains unused because the City of Tshwane has not installed water and electricity.
The problems of the facility, built by the Gauteng provincial health department, were highlighted in March by Premier David Makhura during a visit.
He promised that bulk infrastructure, which also included sewerage systems and stormwater drainage, would be installed as soon as the administrator took charge of the City of Tshwane.
However, almost seven months later, this remains an empty promise.
Last month, ACDP leader Reverend Kenneth Meshoe visited the clinic and spoke to local residents about the frustration of being treated in temporary rooms set up next to the clinic.
On Friday, he was back at the facility and found that the situation remained unchanged.
Speaking to residents, Meshoe said he was giving the government an ultimatum to open the clinic by December 10 at the latest. Failure to comply with the demand would see his party leading a community protest march, he said.
Meshoe expressed disappointment that nothing had changed since he visited the clinic a month ago. He said he was shocked to find patients being treated in a large tent and containers.
Meshoe visited the new Kekanastad Clinic in the township and had praise for its spacious and attractive building. “The situation at the current Kekanastad Clinic is far better than that at the old, dilapidated Mandisa Shiceka tent, but it is ridiculous that Hammans- kraal patients must be treated at the old clinic while the new one stands unfinished. Taxpayers deserve value for their money and our people need decent healthcare.”
The City has said the clinic had been built by the provincial administration and there were building control and planning issues that the province had to deal with to get the necessary approvals to enable connection of bulk infrastructure to the facility.
Head administrator Mpho Nawa said the issue of providing services to the clinic was under discussion between the municipality and the Department of Health.
Pretoria News