System shutdown blamed on clinic’s unpaid bills

The Gauteng Department of Health has attributed the recent disconnection of electricity and water services at Jack Hindon Provincial Clinic in Pretoria North to administrative delays caused by a system shutdown at the end of the financial year.

This comes after the Tshwane metro confirmed that services to the clinic were terminated on May 22, due to outstanding debts of more than R100 000.

According to municipal spokesperson Lindela Mashigo, the two unpaid accounts stood at R53 949 and R46 701, and the disconnection followed a notice issued to the department on May 4, which received no response or written commitment.

Mashigo explained that the metro acted in line with its credit control policy, which applies uniformly to all debtors, including government departments, schools, and clinics.

“While the metro acknowledges the sensitivity of health facilities, inspections are conducted before disconnections to assess the potential impact,” said Mashigo.

The result has been a deeply disruptive service interruption at a clinic relied upon by hundreds of patients in the Pretoria North community.

With no running water and electricity, critical operations have been delayed, raising serious concerns about patient care, hygiene, and the safety of medical supplies.

Gauteng Department of Health spokesperson Motalatale Modiba responded to growing public concern by explaining the cause of the delay.

He said the department was unable to generate purchase orders at the time due to the temporary shutdown of the Systems Application and Products (SAP) platform as the 2025/26 financial year came to an end.

“This has resulted in the delay in payment to the Tshwane municipality, which led to the disconnection of water and electricity at Jack Hindon Clinic.

“The situation was not unique to this clinic. The matter has since been addressed,” said Modiba.

♦️In Pictures♦️

Today, the MMC of Health and Councillor Meyers of Ward 2 visited Jack Hindon Clinic to assess its current conditions, particularly in light of the crucial issues regarding the lack of water supply and electricity. We understand the significance of these… pic.twitter.com/p5Mbqy6AiJ

— 𝔹𝕝𝕖𝕤𝕤𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕋𝕤𝕙𝕖𝕘𝕠 𝕆𝕣𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕝𝕨𝕖 (@Ngwana_Badimu) June 2, 2025

Ward 2 Councillor Quentin Meyer confirmed that he had been working to mediate between the two government entities.

He said the clinic is now functional, with services restored.

“To be transparent, the services were cut due to non-payment of the account. The city acted within its legal rights.

“However, we cannot ignore the fact that this clinic serves critical patients, and the lack of basic services is severely impacting their care and the work of the clinic staff,” he said.

Residents in the area have expressed outrage and disbelief over the situation.

Lennard de Beer, who lives directly across from the clinic, noted that a generator has been used to keep the clinic operational, but not without complications.

“The generator starts up as early as 05:00, even though the clinic only opens at 08:00. That’s a waste of fuel and money. Sometimes, it even runs at night and on weekends,” said De Beer.

He explained that the generator was initially installed as a backup for load-shedding and not to support daily operations due to mismanagement and unpaid bills.

The disconnection has disrupted the facility’s ability to maintain clean, safe conditions.

Without water, sanitation was compromised, and without reliable electricity, medication storage and basic diagnostic procedures were at risk.

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