MBOMBELA – Following the spiraling of incidents of attacks and hijackings of healthcare staff at various healthcare facilities in Mpumalanga, DENOSA in Mpumalanga will be joined by other health unions in leading nurses and other healthcare workers on the streets in their march to the Departments of health and community safety in Witbank on Thursday, 29 August 2024, to demand improved safety in facilities, among others.

Over the recent weeks, there has been a significant increase in security breach at many health facilities in different districts of the province where personal belongings of staff have been taken away, including their vehicles from inside the premises.

The march will be joined by sister unions in the health sector in the province, namely NEHAWU, SAMATU, and SAEPU. 

Members of the media are invited to cover march, which will gather at Witbank Hospital at 10h00 and commence at 11h00. The memorandum will be delivered to both departments at the Pietkornhoof Building.

The march will also demand the absorption, translation, and increased intake of student nurses by the province’s nursing college.

Some of the recent security incidents in the province include:

NKANGALA DISTRICT:

● Over 25 state-owned cars have been hijacked while being used by healthcare workers.

● At Klarinet Clinic, nurses’ personal belongings have been taken, including an employee’s motor vehicle.

● There have been numerous security breaches at Witbank Hospital.

EHLANZENI DISTRICT: 

● Phola Nsikazi

● Mthimba clinic

In both facilities, personal belongings of the staff have been taken away with great risk of injuries. 

● At Themba Hospital, there have been shootings inside the facility.

GERT SIBANDE DISTRICT: 

● Bethal Hospital.

● Morgezon Clinic. 

All these incidents have rendered healthcare facilities unsafe zones for both healthcare workers and patients. DENOSA’s fear is that these incidents are escalating uncontrollably and that it is a matter of time before patients fall victims. 

The details of the march are as follows:

DATE: Thursday, 29 August 2024.

TIME: Gathering time is 10h00, and march commences at 11h00. 

MEETING POINT: Witbank Hospital.

DESTINATION: Pietkornhoof Building.

End.

Issued by DENOSA Mpumalanga.

For more information, contact: 

Cyril Mdhluli, DENOSA Provincial Secretary.

Mobile: +27720894839