Randfontein Community Health Centre Faces Construction Delays Despite R200m Investment

In the bustling area of Mohlakeng, Randfontein, the promise of a fully functional Community Health Centre remains unfulfilled after six years of ongoing construction and a burgeoning budget that has already surpassed R200 million. The clinic, envisioned to mitigate the stress of overcrowding in the area's two existing small health facilities, has become a source of discontent among residents and community leaders alike.

The Randfontein Community Health Centre, which sits in the heart of a rapidly growing community, is still incomplete. Even after substantial financial investment, an additional R90 million is required to bring the project to completion. The Rand West City Local Municipality, as well as the people it serves, is voicing strong dissatisfaction with the delays that have plagued the health centre's establishment.

Tshidiso Tlharipe, a spokesperson for the Rand West City Local Municipality, highlighted the increased housing growth and population surge in Mohlakeng as the driving forces behind the need for a larger healthcare facility. The two clinics currently serving the area are old and unable to accommodate the patient load efficiently. The construction of a new community health centre was the proposed solution to relieve pressure from these facilities, offering better access to healthcare services for residents.

However, missed completion timelines and failed launch attempts, including those scheduled in October and November of 2020 by the Department of Infrastructure Development, have left many in the community feeling abandoned and skeptical. The clinic's persistent unfinished state sparks questions about governmental efficiency and the allocation of resources.

Gauteng Department of Health, set to staff the centre with approximately 23 employees following the handover of the facility, is waiting as much as the residents for the construction to be concluded. Mohlakeng's beleaguered healthcare workers continue to work under pressure, with one clinic closing by 4 pm daily, leaving the Mohlakeng Clinic, which operates around the clock, to bear the brunt of after-hours emergencies and care.

Residents like Morena Moloi voice their confusion and concern over the delayed opening, while also empathizing with overburdened nurses. The lack of a nearby hospital amplifies their frustration, with Leratong Hospital located 30 minutes away by taxi.

The Department of Infrastructure Development spokesperson, Castro Ngobese, addressed the situation, citing construction permit issues, project hijacking by various groups, and delays in payments to service providers as contributing factors to the snail-paced progress. Despite the setbacks, Ngobese is firm in stating that the completion and handover of the facility will occur by 30 June.

As delays continue, so does the uncertainty over when the Randfontein Community Health Centre will finally serve the community it was meant to benefit. The prolonged construction and the need for additional funds have worsened relations between the community and the government entities involved, keeping the health centre as a contentious topic in the town of Mohlakeng.