JOHANNESBURG, Gauteng — The Gauteng healthcare crisis has reached a critical tipping point, with the provincial Department of Health currently operating with only half of the doctors required to adequately serve patients. According to Mzikayise Tshontshi, the Gauteng secretary and provincial chairperson for the National Education, Health and Allied Workers’ Union (NEHAWU), the system is effectively on life support due to severe staff deficits, crumbling infrastructure, and rising concerns over financial mismanagement.
Critical Staff Shortages and Leadership Gaps
Tshontshi highlighted that the province requires approximately 800 doctors to meet normative standards but currently has only about 400 on staff. A similarly severe shortage exists among nursing personnel, leaving healthcare workers suffering from low morale.
The leadership gap is further exacerbating the systemic failures. Tshontshi noted that most hospital CEOs are currently acting in their positions. He expressed concern that some acting CEOs may lack the necessary qualifications to carry out their executive tasks effectively. Although these critical leadership roles have now been advertised, the union pointed out that it took more than a year for the recruitment process to be initiated.
Crumbling Infrastructure and Patient Hardship
The union’s concerns are not new. In October 2025, NEHAWU took to the streets in Johannesburg to deliver a memorandum to the Department of Health, citing ignored grievances and a lack of a “listening ear” from department officials.
While the previous MEC failed to respond to the memorandum, the newly appointed MEC, Faith Mazibuko, has since initiated site visits across the province. Tshontshi stated that these visits proved the union’s allegations correct.
He pointed to Kopanong Hospital as a prime example of infrastructural failure, noting it took three years simply to construct an entrance at the facility. The conditions inside are equally dire: patients are frequently forced to wait outside casualty departments, and admitted patients have been left sleeping on floors for days due to a lack of beds. Alongside medicine shortages, facilities like the George Mukhari Hospital remain severely dilapidated.
Corruption Allegations and Government Accountability
Beyond infrastructure and staffing, financial mismanagement is under the spotlight. The union described the corruption uncovered by the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) at Tembisa Hospital as merely the “tip of the iceberg.”
Tshontshi called for thorough investigations across all provincial hospitals, arguing that the dilapidated state of these facilities points to widespread siphoning of funds meant for public service. Furthermore, infrastructure development has stalled because service providers are not being paid on time, a failure Tshontshi attributes directly to the officials responsible for processing payments.
Placing the ultimate blame on the government, Tshontshi emphasized the state’s responsibility to deliver excellent services to citizens, condemning the dismal failure to do so.
While MEC Faith Mazibuko has begun a collaborative process with organized labor to address the staffing shortages, the union maintains that the compounding problems require urgent, systemic intervention. The union also noted that a right of reply would be given to the previous MEC regarding the alleged failure to address their initial October 2025 memorandum.
