Health Dept call on DA's Gwarube to retract false claim about NW field hospital
In a tweet on Thursday, DA MP Siviwe Gwarube implied that Health Minister Dr Zweli Mkhize had falsely reported in June that the Maseve field hospital outside Rustenburg was nearing completion.
BRITS – The North West Health Department said that it had noted with ‘disbelief’ what it called an attempt by Democratic Alliance (DA) member of Parliament (MP), Siviwe Gwarube to mislead the public about the Maseve field hospital, outside Rustenburg, which was built to treat COVID-19 patients.
In a tweet on Thursday night, Gwarube implied that Health Minister Dr Zweli Mkhize had falsely reported in June that the facility, which is the result of a public-private partnership with mining company Royal Bafokeng Holdings, was nearing completion.
The department rubbished Gwarube’s claim, confirming that the hospital was officially handed over in July at a ceremony that was attended by Premier Job Mokgoro.
#sNorthWestHealth has noted with disbelief attempt by the Democratic Alliance MP Ms Siviwe Gwarube to deliberately mislead the public about the Maseve Field Hospital in Rustenburg. pic.twitter.com/9B96mbPfVw
— North West Health (@NorthWestDOH) August 7, 2020
It said that Gwarube had instead tweeted images of a construction site at the Job Shimankana Tabane Hospital in Rustenburg, where a 300-bed field hospital was being built.
GWARUBE’S APOLOGISES TO MKHIZE FOR MASEVE TWEET…OR DID SHE?
Another statement from the national department labeled the DA MP a ‘liar’ and said that she had since apologised.
“The minister called Gwarube to ask her why she would lie when the parliamentary reply clearly refers to Maseve Hospital when she was on a completely different site. She apologised and admitted she made a mistake.”
The statement by Mkhize’s spokesperson Lwazi Manzi further states that Mkhize accepted the MP’s apology. However, Gwarube is said to have said that the call from the minister was an attempt to "explain himself".
“It is regrettable that she has decided to continue with her petty politicking.”
The national department has called for Gwarube to retract her statement and apologise to the minister and the public.
