Dying diggers of Namaqualand need saving
| by Fawzia Rhoda, MPL – DA Constituency Head of Bo-Karoo |
| Date: 06 November 2019 |
| Release: Immediate |
| The BJ Kempen Memorial Hospital in Victoria West is having its operations threatened due to the Northern Cape government’s failure to pay outstanding rates, taxes and services owed to municipalities.Ubuntu municipality issued a warning notice to a string of local residents and institutions on Friday last week, giving them 14 days to make payment arrangements or face having their electricity disconnected.The DA understands that the Ubuntu municipality currently finds itself in a precarious position.As at the end of September 2019, total debt owed by the municipality to service providers was just over R78, 089 million with the bulk amount of more than R68,229 million being owed to Eskom. The municipality further has arrear payments owed to the retirement fund and SALA pension fund, totalling R616 000 and R1,976 million respectively.While the municipality is undoubtedly on the verge of collapse, and clearly needs to increase it debt collection efforts, it cannot be tolerated that the town’s only hospital is at risk of closure, endangering the lives of patients.The DA is therefore calling on all stakeholders, including the Departments of Health, Roads and Public Works and Ubuntu municipality to urgently come together to ensure the sustainability of health care in Victoria West.The municipality must implement a credible billing system. It should also learn to act on matters before they develop into crises.At the same time, provincial government needs to own up to its responsibility in this saga.At the last known date, the Northern Cape government still owed a whopping R575 million to municipalities. The bulk of this lies with the Department of Roads and Public Works, who is responsible for rates and taxes of its client departments. While it is uncertain as to whether BJ Kempen Memorial Hospital has yet been registered under the name of the department, or whether it is still registered under the name of the municipality, this in itself must also be urgently resolved by the relevant state institutions.The DA hopes that the situation is resolved before the lights go out at BJ Kempen Hospital. We also hope that government is busy attending to the upcoming loadshedding risk for December in Ubuntu and the eleven other municipalities in the province, who defaulted on their payment agreements with Eskom.It is not fair to place an added burden on the sick. They should not have to pay for the incompetence of this government. |
| Media Enquiries |
| Fawzia Rhoda, MPLDA Constituency Head of Bo-Karoo082 408 8070 Shelley De WittResearcher082 847 1387 Wilma Schultz, CllrCouncillor in Ubuntu Municipality072 590 5215 |
Related posts