‘First green clinic’ in Lusaka still incomplete, residents impatient over delays
The clinic is meant to reduce residents’ burden of having to wake up in the early hours to access healthcare services and also to reduce the workload at neighbouring clinics.
A contractor is being sought to complete the Lusaka Clinic in Mamelodi, which is 93% complete.
According to the Tshwane metro, the previous contractor was dismissed due to poor performance.
The clinic has been under construction for about seven years and had its completion deadline frequently adjusted, with the latest completion scheduled for May last year.
In February 2024, the clinic’s overall construction progress was at 92%, while in 2022, the project stood at 80.5% as the plumbing and electrical work were underway.
The clinic is meant to be a flagship project for the metro as it is scheduled to be the first green clinic of its kind.
It was designed around green building principles including central courtyards to bring in fresh air, water storage and external shading to reduce heat transfer, among others, according to the metro.
The clinic is planned to render comprehensive primary healthcare services to the community of Mamelodi Ext 22 and adjacent areas.
The facility is planned to have 21 consulting rooms, which will include chronic, acute, and mother and child wards. In addition, there will be a full dispensary, emergency room and all auxiliary functions that will be provided at the facility.
It will also alleviate pressure on clinics in surrounding areas.
Lusaka residents were not happy over the delays, as the area has about five working clinics. They have reported that they have to walk long distances and stand in long queues to access essential healthcare services at the nearest available clinics.
The residents claimed they are struggling while a multi-million clinic project in Mamelodi East has been stalled, with no hope of commencing soon.
Resident, Jack Sithole from RDP in the far east of Mamelodi, claimed he has no choice but to wake up as early as 03:00 to prepare to go to Stanza Bopape Clinic.
“We were all excited when they announced the project worth millions of rands of building a new clinic for far east residents.
“The clinic was meant to reduce the burden of waking up in the early hours and reducing workloads at other neighbouring clinics,” said Sithole.
He claimed the project had been abandoned and there were no security guards or metro police to guard the place.
“We don’t know when the new contractor will be appointed or finish the project. The clinic’s unfinished construction will soon experience vandalism,” said Sithole.
“The clinic was supposed to service the committee in areas like Lusaka and RDP in terms of healthcare and if abandoned like this, it will cost Tshwane more millions of rands to rebuild,” said Sithole.
He said Tshwane clinics’ opening times are from 07:00 and close at 16:00.
To get the healthcare you need, a person must arrive at the clinic around 05:00 to be first in line.
“Sometimes because of overcrowding the nurses would cut off the queue and patients are told to go back home and come back tomorrow morning.
“The project of building Lusaka Clinic started in 2019 and the deadlines for completion had been changing forever and today, the project has stopped,” he said.
Cynthia Mathebula said nearby clinics are always crowded with long queues and that Lusaka Clinic was meant to alleviate the number of people consulting at nearby clinics. Stanza Bopape Clinic is about 5km away from the Lusaka area.
“Not all of us who come to the clinic early in the morning will get help, some are told to go back and come back tomorrow.”
She pleaded with Tshwane Health to at least organise mobile clinics for senior citizens who can’t wake up as early as 03:00 or 04:00.
Tshwane metro spokesperson Lindela Mashigo said during the 2025/2026 financial year the city must still appoint a contractor to complete the clinic.
“The contract with the contractor was terminated in August 2024 due to poor performance,” said Mashigo.
He added that only about R38.1-million out of more than R61.2-million was spent to date when the contractor was appointed.
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