Gauteng hospital security bill soars to R2.54bn amid patient care crisis

The Democratic Alliance (DA) has voiced concern over soaring security costs at Gauteng public hospitals, which have skyrocketed from R655 million in 2022 to R2.54 billion in 2025 — nearly quadrupling in just three years.

According to DA Gauteng Shadow Health MEC Jack Bloom, the rising security expenditure is diverting much-needed funds from critical healthcare services.

“This squeezes out money needed to improve patient care,” said Bloom in a statement on Monday.

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Gauteng Health MEC Nomantu Nkomo-Ralehoko revealed in a written reply to the provincial legislature that the increase is due to “additional points of service provision” and higher rates regulated by the Private Security Industry Regulatory Authority (PSIRA).

However, Bloom questioned the justification, noting that PSIRA’s annual rate increase stands at only 7.38%, far below the near six-fold rise in overall security spending.

“As a percentage of the total Gauteng health budget, security costs have gone up from 1.1% in 2022 to 3.8% of this year’s allocation of R66 billion,” he pointed out.

Security bills for major hospitals are among the highest. Chris Hani Baragwanath, Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg, and Bertha Gxowa hospitals are paying R77 million, R72 million, and R26 million respectively to private security firms each year.

In response to Bloom’s inquiry, the department stated: “The security assessment report conducted justifies the additional increase in the number of guards, and it is in line with the PSIRA rates.”

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Guards unpaid despite soaring costs

Despite these massive outlays, some security workers are not being paid on time. At Tembisa Hospital, guards have gone on a go-slow, protesting after not being paid for three months.

At George Mukhari Hospital, Mafoko Security Patrollers recently lost a court case over failing to pay provident fund contributions.

Similar allegations have surfaced at Bertha Gxowa Hospital, where workers claim deductions are not reaching the required funds.

Although the department insists it uses “a monthly performance monitoring tool to ensure that security workers are paid on time and according to legislation,” Bloom said, “this does not appear to be effective.”

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Calls for accountability

Bloom suspects widespread corruption.

“Many security companies seem to be grossly over-charging while underpaying their workers,” he said.

The DA has vowed to continue pushing the provincial health department to review the escalating costs.

“Hospital patients suffer because of a lack of budget to fix staff shortages, long queues, and broken equipment,” Bloom warned.

The Citizen has contacted the Gauteng Department of Health for further comment but had not received a response at the time of publication.

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