The community of eMalahleni embarked on a ‘Reclaiming our healthcare dignity’ march, organised by the uMkhonto weSizwe party, to express their outrage and disappointment at the poor service received at the Witbank Tertiary Hospital.

They submitted a memorandum earlier today highlighting the plight of the community and their plea for the removal of the current Mpumalanga Health MEC, Sasekani Manzini, as they claim that she is not fit for the position.

“We stand here because our children are dying from preventable diseases. We stand here because our mothers and sisters are giving birth in conditions worse than those of animals,” the marchers said.

In their list of demands directed at the Mpumalanga Premier Mandla Ndlovu, they included:

1. The sacking of the Mpumalanga Health MEC.
2. Dismissal of the CEO and the entire board of the Witbank Tertiary Hospital.
3. A full forensic investigation into alleged corruption.
4. An urgent improvement in the ambulance services, with a practical ratio per sub-region, and a review of the turnaround time for ambulances to reach patients.
5. Alleged rape cases in the hospital must be investigated, and a report must be given as a matter of urgency.
6. The shortage of medical practitioners or doctors needs to be addressed urgently.
7. All staff members implicated in serious breaches of the work operation and ethics must be investigated and, when found guilty, face disciplinary action.
8. The pathologist services must be resourced in the hospital to avoid delays experienced by bereaved families.
9. Employment of staff in the hospital should prioritise residents of eMalahleni and the surrounding areas.

They have given the relevant officials seven days to respond to their demands, hinting a chance for further actions if their demands are not met.

“If our demands are not met by the 17th of September, we will have no choice. We will shut down this hospital until it is fixed,” the marchers said.

The memorandum was received by the special advisor in the office of the Mpumalanga Premier, Jomo Nyambi.

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