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Patients to Be Moved From Cofimvaba Hospital as Nurses Down Tools

On Monday nurses at Cofimvaba Hospital, near Queenstown, downed tools, demanding the acting CEO Ntombesithathu Qotoyi be removed.

The Eastern Cape Department of Health is planning to move patients from Cofimvaba Hospital to other facilities, after nurses went on an unprotected strike.

On Monday nurses at Cofimvaba Hospital, near Queenstown, downed tools, demanding that acting CEO Ntombesithathu Qotoyi be removed. They accuse her of disrespecting and insulting them and playing favourites.

The nurses also downed tools two weeks ago over similar issues.

Provincial health spokesperson Mkhululi Ndamase said a previous independent investigation found no reason to remove Qotoyi. The department had made several attempts to explain the situation to the nurses. District health management is now looking at moving some patients to nearby facilities.

On Monday morning, we found nurses singing in the corridors. A guard at the entrance said most patients had left. There were people waiting at reception, some sleeping on chairs. Reception was active, but working very slowly.

Trouble between Qotoyi and the staff started a year ago, when about 160 workers signed a memorandum demanding her removal. They said she refused to approve leave and share budget information. She was suspended until an independent investigation cleared her.

“I spent R120 to come here. I live far away and there’s no guarantee that when I come back on Monday things will be back to normal,” said Lumka Bambatha, who had arrived at the hospital around 6am. “I’m not working. I rely on the child support grant. This is not fair.”

She said she had an appointment to have her son’s plaster cast on his arm removed. “The doctor told us that he can only take new patients; we must come back next week.,” she said.

Nomalizo Msongelwa said she found her husband who had been in hospital since last week left unattended.

“I thank God that I’m here to at least feed him because there are no nurses in his ward. But what frustrates me mostly is to hear that they are now planning to move him to Queenstown. I won’t be able to visit him due to lack of money,” she said.

Ndamase said the department has issued an ultimatum to the nurses to stop the strike as they are deemed essential workers.

Denosa Eastern Cape secretary Mveli Sinqana said workers are not happy with the return of their manager. He said as the union they are still trying to engage with the department to find a solution to the matter.

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Eastern Cape Mayor and Speaker Under Investigation for Fraud

Eastern Cape police are investigating fraud charges against the Sakhisizwe Local Municipality’s mayor and speaker following allegations that the pair misused the municipal fuel card.

The mayor and speaker of Sakhisizwe Local Municipality in the Eastern Cape are being investigated by police following allegations that they misused the council’s petrol card.
It is alleged that in November 2022 the mayor filled her personal vehicle three times, totalling R5,000, with the municipality fuel card.
Meanwhile the speaker told officials that she got verbal permission from the CFO to use the card to fill her personal vehicle.
The Municipal Public Accounts Committee resolved to have the speaker pay back the money.
A community-based organisation called, the Xhalanga Civic Platform, has filed criminal charges against the two officials for misusing public funds.

Eastern Cape police are investigating fraud charges against Sakhisizwe Local Municipality Mayor Boniswa Ponoshe and Speaker Nomzamo Mkati, following allegations that the pair misused the municipal fuel card.

Sakhisizwe is a small and mostly rural municipality with nine wards. It is situated in the outskirts of northern Eastern Cape, with two main towns, Cala and Khowa (formerly known as Elliot).

The charges against Ponoshe and Mkati were brought by Bulelani Bunyonyo, convenor at the Xhalanga Civic Platform, a community-based organisation established to keep officials accountable in the Chris Hani District.

Bunyonyo told GroundUp that while they were alerted to the alleged incidents of fraud over a year ago, they wanted to give the municipality time to take action and hold the two officials accountable. But, he says, not enough has been done to prevent it from happening again.

The mayor’s docket has been transferred from Cala police station to an investigating officer at Mount Ayliff (eMaXesibeni) police station, SAPS spokesperson Namhla Mdleleni confirmed this week.

According to documents seen by GroundUp, it is alleged that in November 2022 Ponoshe’s personal vehicle was filled three times, totalling R5,000, using the municipality fuel card while travelling between Komani and eMaXesibeni.

GroundUp contacted Ponosho for comment but she hung up on us.

Regarding the case against the speaker, it is alleged that Mkati had used a municipal fuel card for her private vehicle between October and December 2022. Bonyongo said the matter was reported to council by the fleet management unit as part of fleet fuel quarter 2 report.

Mkati also refused to comment.

The Municipal Public Accounts Committee (MPAC) was then tasked with investigating the allegations. In a special meeting in October 2023, Mkati was ordered to pay back the money, and ordered “other implicated officials” to be sent for a disciplinary hearing.

The estimated amount Mkati was to pay back amounted to about R9,000, according to our source in the municipality, but we have been unable to confirm this.

“As community members we are taking a stand and fighting for what is ours. There’s a lot of fraud and corruption happening in our municipality. Service providers work without contracts, service delivery is bad and projects are left unfinished.”

“The mayor and speaker are not the only ones misusing municipal funds. More cases will be opened. SAPS is our last hope to shape up our leaders so they can start working,” Bunyonyo said.

“We are of the view that poor leadership is the main source of Sakhisizwe service delivery challenges,” said Bunyonyo.

MPAC member Aviwe Mpakane (DA) said he is aware of the allegations against Ponoshe and Mkati. But said the committee was only requested to interrogate Mkati at the time.

“When this thing started, it was an ANC fight. I picked up that there were two more fuel cards that were misused. I asked why only one person was being interviewed. Unfortunately, I was the only one questioning that,” he said.

He said Mkati told the committee that she had a verbal agreement with the then director of corporate and current fleet manager, where she was allowed to use the fuel card for her personal car because the municipal vehicle was allegedly at the mechanic.

“She did pay back the money as ordered by the council,” he said.

Cooperative Governance MEC Zolile Williams’s spokesperson Pheello Oliphant said that no formal complaint has been received but confirmed that they got a WhatsApp message from the Xhalanga Civic Platform.

MPAC chairperson Lulama Tulelo and municipal manager Sibongile Sotshongaye did not respond to our questions sent on 11 November.

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Urgent Intervention Required in “Man-Made” Komani Water Crisis

Dear Editor

The town of Komani is facing a “man-made” Day Zero crisis due to the inability of the inept Chris Hani District Municipality (CHDM) to timeously repair a massive leak in the main water pipeline from the Waterdown Dam.

Komani is situated in the Enoch Mgijima Municipality, but the CHDM is responsible for the provision of water and sanitation services to this local municipality.

Certain communities in Komani have been without water since the leak occurred four days ago.

[download pictures here and here]

The Democratic Alliance (DA) is calling on the CHDM to urgently provide a comprehensive report on the state of the water infrastructure in the Enoch Mgijima Municipality. We also call on the Enoch Mgijima mayor to urgently compile a report on both the state of the water infrastructure and the operational status of the Waterdown, Bongola and Xonca dams, for presentation to the municipal council.

The district municipality has failed to communicate effectively with the public regarding the state of water infrastructure leading to certain areas in Komani.

Areas such as Mlungisi and Ezibeleni experience daily water interruptions, while Hofmeyr is fortunate to receive water for just one hour a day. Nomzamo has been without water for months. Communities are forced to spend additional money on bottled water for drinking, cooking, and washing. Businesses are also bearing the brunt, as they are forced to limit operations to conserve water.

The Xonca Dam upgrading project, which began in 2014, was initially slated for completion in November 2018. Six years later, the R546 million project remains unfinished. The upgrade was intended to help Komani maintain a reliable water supply after the Bongola Dam’s capacity was reduced due to the drought.

Urgent intervention is needed from Eastern Cape CoGTA MEC, Zolile Williams, to ensure that the Xonca Dam is utilised as a water source for Komani, and to pressure the Chris Hani District Municipality to present a state of water infrastructure report, along with findings and recommendations.

The water shortage in the Enoch Mgijima Municipality has escalated into a humanitarian crisis. A public-private partnership is urgently needed to implement alternative, innovative technologies to ensure a steady water supply.

The lives and livelihoods of our people should not be jeopardised by the neglect and poor planning of municipalities.

The DA will hold higher authorities accountable for this crisis and work together to restore the water supply to the Enoch Mgijima Municipality.

Regards

Cllr Tokkie Deysel
DA Enoch Mgijima Caucus Leader

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Urgent Need for Reliable Power and Patient Safety at Frontier Hospital

Dear Editor

The Democratic Alliance (DA) has noted the response from Health MEC, Ntandokazi Capa, and would like to reaffirm our commitment to the well-being of patients at Frontier Hospital and the importance of safeguarding lives through reliable power infrastructure.

We are deeply concerned about the ongoing disruptions at Frontier Hospital. This morning’s information relating to two patients’ deaths was based on credible information from reliable sources, and we remain confident in their integrity. At the same time, we respect the MEC’s response, and do not wish to create unnecessary alarm.

Our primary aim is to ensure that infrastructural issues never compromise patient safety. It is crucial that the ongoing challenges with power reliability at healthcare facilities, such as Frontier Hospital, receive urgent and focused attention.

The DA remains dedicated to advocating for a safe and resilient healthcare system for all, and we will continue to monitor the situation at Frontier Hospital to ensure that no patient’s life is put at risk due to infrastructural failures.

Regards

Jane Cowley MPL
DA Shadow MEC for Health