Empty Tembisa Old Age Home gathers dust while Tembisa Hospital struggles to accommodate Covid-19 patients

11 February 2021

The Democratic Alliance (DA) in Gauteng notes with great concern that the R30 million state-of-the-art Tembisa Old Age Home with a capacity of 59 beds, now stands empty while Tembisa Hospital is struggling with capacity due to the increasing number of Covid-19 patients.

Built in 2012, the Tembisa Old Age Home only opened its doors to elderly residents two years later in October 2014. This facility was launched by the then Gauteng MEC for Social Development, Faith Mazibuko and the then Ekurhuleni MMC for Health, Cllr Makhosazana Twala.

The old age home now stands empty as it was closed in July 2019. Most of the elderly residents were taken back by their relatives while ten residents, who did not have relatives to accommodate them, were moved to various homes around Gauteng.

At the time of closure of this facility, employees were not paid their salaries for two months and are still waiting for their payout. The reasons for the closure are still not entirely clear.

According to media reports, the facility was shut down due to non-compliance, and renovations needed to be done in order for it to adhere to regulations. It was also stated that the Gauteng Department of Social Development withdrew funding for this facility because of irregularities such as the hiring of employees.

However, in response to a DA question in the Gauteng Provincial Legislature last year, the Gauteng MEC for Social Development, Thembi Mokgethi said her department was not aware of the closure of the Tembisa Old Age Home and that it was the responsibility of the Ekurhuleni Municipality.

It is worrying how the former MEC for Social Development officially opened a facility that possibly did not meet compliance requirements as the standard procedure for a government department to take over any building from the contractor, is to ensure that there are no structural defects. This raises concern how the structural defects were not detected at the time of the hand-over.

Tembisa Hospital has had to repurpose wards and add tents to create a capacity of 192 beds for Covid-19 patients while the 59 bed Tembisa Old Age Home, which is a stone throw away, is gathering dust.

This was a missed opportunity for the Gauteng Department of Health to relieve pressure from the Tembisa Hospital as The Old Age Home could have been renovated where necessary to be compliant, and made into a step-down facility.

It is high time that the Gauteng Departments of Health and Social Development work hand-in-hand to accommodate Covid-19 patients.

The DA will continue to advocate for the efficient utilisation of state resources in the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic.

Issued by RefiloeNt’sekhe,DA Gauteng Shadow MEC for Social Development, 11 February 2021