Earlier this week, scores of Gugulethu residents gathered to demand answers from the Western Cape Health and Wellness Department regarding long-awaited plans to build a new hospital in their community. The Movement for Change and Social Justice, an alliance of health, safety, and social service organisations, has advocated since 2016 for a district hospital with a trauma unit to address the pressing needs of Gugulethu and surrounding areas.
Speaking on VOC Breakfast Thursday, Mandla Majola, founding member of the Movement for Change and Social Justice, explained that the existing day hospital was built in the early 1960s for a population of about 27,000. However, with Gugulethu now housing over 100,000 people, including those in numerous informal settlements, the current facility is severely strained. “The hospital is unfriendly, not accommodating, with not enough beds. There are plenty of issues,” Majola stated, noting that the hospital does not adequately serve people with disabilities.
Majola shared that promises for a new hospital were made but delayed during the COVID-19 pandemic, and there has been no subsequent communication from the Health Department on a timeline or plans for the project. This lack of transparency and community consultation has sparked frustration. “We are enraged. They have not come to the community and spoken to them,” he said. Majola added that, although there were brief discussions in 2019, community members were informed only through protests rather than organized public meetings.
Compounding the issue is the proposed use of a sports field, which belongs to the community, as the site for the new hospital. This field is home to the United Aces Football Club, a local institution in Gugulethu. Majola argued that any plans to build on this site without public consultation would not be tolerated. He emphasized that the closure of Jooste Hospital has increased the pressure on Gugulethu’s day hospital, creating a dire need for more healthcare infrastructure in the area.
The need for a new hospital is widely acknowledged among residents, though concerns over losing the sports field are significant. Gugulethu Community Policing Forum (CPF) Chairperson Ntandazo “Didi” Anthony Gcingca shared insight into the challenges facing the area. “Gugulethu is very confined and congested, now sitting at close to 400,000 people. When Gugulethu was created, it was for 20,000 people, so there is no space,” he said. He highlighted the community’s deep connection to the United Aces Football Club, a celebrated sports team that has fostered unity and pride.
Gcingca further described the difficulties faced by the community due to the limited capacity of the current hospital. “The KTC day hospital is very, very small and cannot provide the services needed. The community is frustrated, all related to the availability of space,” he said. The demand for expanded healthcare facilities to meet Gugulethu’s growing population remains a pressing issue for residents, underscoring their insistence on both transparent communication and the preservation of valued community spaces.
Ultimately, the community seeks to ensure that healthcare infrastructure aligns with Gugulethu’s needs without sacrificing the neighbourhood’s heritage or sidelining residents in the planning process. As Majola concluded, “We hope they are going to convene a meeting so we can get clear timeframes,” emphasizing that they will continue to advocate for both health access and respect for their community’s interests.
VOC News
Photo: Pixabay
