NUPSAW welcomes the resignation of the Northern Cape MEC for Health but demands full accountability for systemic failures and patient deaths
The National Union of Public Service and Allied Workers (NUPSAW) notes the resignation of the Northern Cape Member of the Executive Council (MEC) for Health Maruping Lekwene with both relief and outrage. While his departure is long overdue, it does not absolve him of accountability for the catastrophic failures, preventable deaths, and inhumane conditions revealed in the Health Ombud’s recent report on mental health facilities in the province.
Under his tenure, the Northern Cape Department of Health presided over a collapsing healthcare system defined by gross negligence, mismanagement, and a profound dereliction of duty. The Ombud’s findings on the appalling conditions at the Northern Cape Mental Health Hospital (NCMHH) and the Robert Mangaliso Sobukwe Hospital (RMSH) expose a shocking disregard for human life and dignity.
Patients suffered and died from preventable causes — subjected to freezing conditions, malnutrition, untreated infections, and the absence of even the most basic medical care. These tragedies did not occur in isolation; they were the direct consequence of failed leadership, austerity-driven policies, and a chronic lack of accountability at the highest levels of governance.
For years, NUPSAW has consistently warned of the dire consequences of underfunding, the appointment of unqualified personnel through cadre deployment, and the erosion of critical healthcare infrastructure. The former MEC’s failure to act decisively in the face of persistent crises, including the collapse of hospital infrastructure, chronic shortages of skilled healthcare professionals, and the lack of essential medical equipment demonstrates the systemic decay within the Northern Cape health system.
While NUPSAW acknowledges that his resignation represents a small and necessary step toward justice, it cannot and must not be used as a shield against accountability.
Accordingly, NUPSAW demands:
- A full criminal investigation into the former MEC’s role in the preventable deaths and suffering of patients;
- Immediate disciplinary action against all senior officials implicated in the Health Ombud’s findings;
- The urgent implementation of all the Health Ombud’s recommendations, including the immediate repair, resourcing, and proper staffing of affected facilities; and
- A national forensic audit of mental health infrastructure across all provinces to prevent the recurrence of such humanitarian crises.
The collapse of the healthcare system in the Northern Cape is a grim reflection of a broader national crisis fueled by austerity measures, corruption, and mismanagement. The working class and the poor continue to bear the brunt of these failures as hospitals become death traps and healthcare workers are stretched beyond their limits under intolerable conditions.
NUPSAW remains steadfast in its commitment to fight for justice, accountability, and a healthcare system that upholds the constitutional right to life, dignity, and access to quality healthcare services for all.
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For media enquiries, please contact:
NUPSAW MLO Neo Lebethe on 069 742 4004