ANC Accuses DA Of Disregarding Black Communities Over Rebuilding GF Jooste Hospital

The African National Congress (ANC) accused Democratic Alliance (DA) of disregarding black communities after GF Jooste Hospital's reconstruction came under scrutiny.

The hospital was decommissioned by the DA government in 2013 and now, after 10 years, some reports mentioned that the hospital will be ready only in 2032.

ANC party's Member of the Western Cape Provincial Parliament, Rachel Windvogel said during a house sitting on Thursday that this is injustice done by the "uncaring, incompetent and dishonest DA government" towards the people as they took away "an essential service like a hospital."

"The people should reject them at the polls," Windvogel said, News24 reported.

She went on to share that these 10 years of delay have forced people to travel long distances and spend money, just to access healthcare services.

Windvogel acknowledged the ongoing gang violence in that area, resulting in people risking their lives to "cross the turf of rival gangs in order to access healthcare services."

"To add salt to the wound, it will take another 10 years before the hospital is rebuilt," she added.

The government was going to rebuild the facility after decommissioning it in 2013. However, there has been little progress since then. Western Cape Provincial Minister of Health, Nomafrench Mbombo revealed in February that the funding of the project had been reprioritized.

Windvogel noted that the party (DA) is good for nothing and they shouldn't be voted in power again in 2024.

"The whole process of closure of GF Jooste has exposed the DA's complete disregard for black communities," she said. "The DA has failed the people of Manenberg, Nyanga, Gugulethu and surrounds."

Mbombo claimed in response that ANC-governed nine provinces' healthcare centers are going "down the drain."

The minister said that there is a lot more that can be done in Western Cape, noting that their budget has dropped over a billion this year. Mbombo shared that the money was supposed to be allotted by the national government.

"The issue was about why we would build a level-one hospital again on that site, which is less than four hectares, instead of building a level-two hospital that will be a specialist hospital," Mbombo concluded. "The issue of the budget is something we have to look out for. It's not only the GF Jooste hospital; it's other hospitals as well."

Mbombo also pointed out the ANC government's failure regarding load shedding in the country. Considering the load-shedding problem in the country, energy company Eskom announced that South Africans will experience Stage 6 load shedding from 4 pm to 5 am from Thursday onwards until further notice.

The electricity minister Kgosientsho Ramokgopa claimed last month during his visit to the Kusile Power Station that the load-shedding issue was a technical problem and had nothing to do with corruption.