Neelam Rahim | neelam@radioislam.co.za

3-minute read
23 April 2025 | 17:24 CAT

Speedy investigation and consequences needed for Tembisa Hospital fire. (Source-DA)

Two devastating fires at Tembisa Hospital in Gauteng within days of each other have triggered outrage and urgent demands for accountability and reform. The blazes, which gutted the Accident and Emergency unit on Saturday and the main Outpatient Department just days later, raise suspicions of deliberate sabotage.

Democratic Alliance (DA) spokesperson on health, Jack Bloom, voiced serious concern in an interview with Radio Islam International: “It’s highly suspicious that we have two fires in the space of a few days. We need a speedy, open and transparent investigation.”

Bloom drew comparisons to the fire at Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Academic Hospital in 2021, where investigations dragged for more than two years. “There were strong suspicions of arson, yet no one was held accountable. We cannot afford to repeat that,” he warned.

In light of this, Bloom called for decisive leadership and accountability, stressing, “The CEO should have been dismissed back then. If this is more than negligence, the public deserves to know.”

The backdrop of corruption adds fuel to the fire. Bloom noted that the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) uncovered over R2 billion in misspent funds at Tembisa Hospital over three years. “This is the very hospital where whistleblower Babita Deokaran was murdered for trying to stop corrupt payments,” he added.

Despite being a critical healthcare facility for the region, Tembisa Hospital operates under strain. It is currently 79% compliant with Occupational Health and Safety regulations, a figure Bloom described as “not good enough.”

He continued, “This is the law. Imagine if the private sector said 79% is good enough. It reflects the broader crisis in our public healthcare system — incompetence, corruption, and failing infrastructure.”

The DA has proposed reopening Kempton Park Hospital to ease the pressure. “We can’t afford another Charlotte Maxeke debacle. We need competent leadership, proper oversight, and facilities that actually serve the people.”

As investigations begin, the question remains: will this be the wake-up call to finally fix South Africa’s ailing public health sector, or just another crisis swept under the rug?

Listen to the full interview on Your World Today with Mufti Yusuf Moosagie and Jack Bloom here.