Health Department 'fails' Boitumelo community, as R20 million wall built instead of clinic

Public outrage has erupted after it was revealed that nearly R20 million has been spent on a perimeter wall instead of a public clinic for the community of Boitumelo in the Vaal.

The project, which began 15 years ago, has faced strong criticism from residents who argue that building the actual clinic, vital for community healthcare, should have taken precedence over constructing a wall.

A local councillor from the Democratic Alliance's Emfuleni North constituency, Kingsol Chabalala, says, "The project started around 2010 and around 2015/2016, the Department started pouring money into the project. To date, almost R20 million has been spent and paid to three different service providers, yet the community of Boitumelo still does not have a clinic.

"The only thing that could be shown for that R20 million that was spent is an incomplete wall. What makes this situation sad is that the current clinic that is servicing the community of Boitumelo is very small and cannot accommodate the entire population, even the waiting area, and in harsh weather conditions, patients who are ill have to wait outside in the scorching sun or in the rain.

"One of the things the MEC is citing is that the project stopped because there was community unrest. I think the MEC is just misleading the community of Boitumelo. It cannot be that the community requested the clinic, and then they go on to start community unrest to stop the clinic. The clinic stopped because of local ANC structures, who were demanding subcontracting jobs to participate.

"The MEC is also citing the issue of budget. We know the Department continues to return money to the Treasury and that the Department continues to waste financial resources on things that do not even amount to giving health services.

"What we are saying is the Department of Health services have failed the people of Boitumelo," concludes Chabalala.

To listen to Chabalala in conversation with Mandy Wiener on CapeTalk and 702's The Midday Report, click below: