{"id":99177,"date":"2025-07-18T10:46:00","date_gmt":"2025-07-18T08:46:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/radioislam.org.za\/a\/?p=99177"},"modified":"2025-07-18T10:46:00","modified_gmt":"2025-07-18T08:46:00","slug":"umlazi-clinic-in-crisis-psa-raises-alarm-over-violent-attacks-and-lack-of-security","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/radioislam.org.za\/a\/umlazi-clinic-in-crisis-psa-raises-alarm-over-violent-attacks-and-lack-of-security\/","title":{"rendered":"Umlazi Clinic in Crisis: PSA Raises Alarm over Violent Attacks and Lack of Security"},"content":{"rendered":"

Neelam Rahim | neelam@radioislam.co.za<\/a> <\/em>
\n3-minute read<\/em>
\n18 July 2025 | 08:45 CAT<\/em><\/p>\n

\"\"

\ud83d\udcf8 Umlazi\u2019s healthcare workers under siege: Armed robberies and lack of security leave clinics vulnerable, PSA calls for urgent action. Image: Newzroom Afrika<\/p><\/div>\n

The Public Servants Association (PSA) has issued an urgent call for action following a violent armed robbery at the K Clinic in Umlazi, KwaZulu-Natal. Two armed suspects stormed the facility on 15 July, hijacking a UKZN state vehicle at gunpoint and leaving healthcare workers traumatised and reluctant to return to work.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is not an isolated event,\u201d said PSA representative Xolani Dhlamini. \u201cAll of Umlazi\u2019s public clinics are vulnerable. Incidents like this occur regularly, making it impossible for staff to work freely.\u201d<\/p>\n

Dhlamini confirmed that the PSA had recently met with the Health Department and other stakeholders to discuss security challenges. \u201cThe department themselves admitted they don\u2019t even know where to begin,\u201d he revealed.<\/p>\n

Despite previous incidents and warnings, many clinics continue to operate without any permanent security infrastructure. According to Dhlamini, the security response is short-lived. \u201cThey station SAPS at a clinic for a week after an incident, then they disappear. The police say they don\u2019t have vehicles or manpower.\u201d<\/p>\n

In a controversial yet desperate suggestion, the PSA has proposed the temporary closure of affected clinics. \u201cIt\u2019s not about abandoning healthcare,\u201d explained Dhlamini, \u201cbut a strategy to involve communities in mobilising against this criminality. These perpetrators live in the same areas. If the clinics close for five days, the community may take ownership of their safety.\u201d<\/p>\n

However, the human cost is staggering. Staff remain without proper trauma support. \u201cThere was no counselling for the workers,\u201d said Dhlamini. \u201cThe department puts them all in one room and calls it therapy. That is not counselling, especially for someone who\u2019s been held at gunpoint multiple times.\u201d<\/p>\n

Equally concerning are reports that CPF forums are demanding money from clinic staff and local businesses for protection. \u201cIt\u2019s very confusing,\u201d said Dhlamini. \u201cThere\u2019s no real community engagement as the Premier claims. It\u2019s all just talk.\u201d<\/p>\n

The PSA warns that unless meaningful steps are taken, including permanent security, mobile clinics for the most vulnerable, and community mobilisation. Umlazi\u2019s clinics will remain under siege. As Dhlamini said bluntly: \u201cWe don\u2019t know what to do anymore.\u201d<\/p>\n

Listen<\/strong> to the full interview on The Daily Round-Up<\/em> <\/a>with Moulana Junaid Kharsany and Xolani Dhlamini.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Neelam Rahim | neelam@radioislam.co.za 3-minute read 18 July 2025 | 08:45 CAT The Public Servants Association (PSA) has issued an urgent call for action following a violent armed robbery at the K Clinic in Umlazi, KwaZulu-Natal. Two armed suspects stormed the facility on 15 July, hijacking a UKZN state vehicle at gunpoint and leaving healthcare […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":29,"featured_media":99179,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[28,4995],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-99177","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-latest-news","category-south-africa"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/radioislam.org.za\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/PSA.jpg?fit=1280%2C720&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[],"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pc0QIf-pND","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"publishpress_future_action":{"enabled":false,"date":"2026-04-19 23:29:42","action":"change-status","newStatus":"draft","terms":[],"taxonomy":"category","extraData":[]},"publishpress_future_workflow_manual_trigger":{"enabledWorkflows":[]},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/radioislam.org.za\/a\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/99177","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/radioislam.org.za\/a\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/radioislam.org.za\/a\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/radioislam.org.za\/a\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/29"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/radioislam.org.za\/a\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=99177"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/radioislam.org.za\/a\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/99177\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/radioislam.org.za\/a\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/99179"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/radioislam.org.za\/a\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=99177"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/radioislam.org.za\/a\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=99177"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/radioislam.org.za\/a\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=99177"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}