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Stuff from Johannesburg

New Gauteng Health MEC must get it right this time

Dear Johannesburg

The newly-appointed Gauteng Health MEC Nomathemba Mokgethi needs to hit the ground running to confront the ongoing COVID-19 crisis but must also do radical surgery to fix the deep-rooted rot in the Gauteng Health Department.

Premier David Makhura has announced an intervention team of experts and health professionals, but we have seen before the failure of similar interventions and “turn-around plans”.

Previously there was a two-year intervention by PricewaterhouseCoopers (Pwc), and in November 2017 a high-level intervention team was appointed after the Life Esidimeni disaster.

These interventions did not prevent the massive corruption of the PPE contracts and other failures that have crippled health care in the province.

It is no use appointing an intervention team unless their recommendations are implemented, which has not happened previously.

I agree with Premier Makhura that there are deep systemic and structural problems in the Department. These will only be fixed by firing incompetent deployed cadres and destroying politically connected corruption networks. The Western Cape health department is the model to follow for effective management systems.

Meanwhile, Mokgethi’s first task should be to ensure that there is effective monitoring of COVID-19 infections so that speedy measures can be taken to prevent any further surges. The Department is currently providing erratic and untrustworthy COVID-19 figures e.g. it is claimed that there are 1138 active infections, but there are 1386 COVID-19 patients in hospital, which is clearly impossible. An accurate district breakdown is also needed, but this has not been provided since 4 November.

The Democratic Alliance wishes the new MEC well in her daunting task and will assist where we can to ensure that a decent health service is provided in Gauteng.

Regards

Jack Bloom MPL
DA Gauteng Shadow MEC for Health

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Sophiatown: The Lost “Paris of the Transvaal”

Sophiatown’s golden age was the 1940s and 50s. It was a dense, vibrant, and often dangerous neighborhood, characterized by “backyard” rooms, shebeens (illegal speakeasies), and a sophisticated social scene. It was the birthplace of Kwaito’s ancestors and the legendary “Marabi” music—a blend of traditional African rhythms and American ragtime. The streets were home to the most iconic figures of African literature and music: Miriam Makeba found her voice here; Hugh Masekela received his first trumpet from a local priest; and the writers of Drum magazine, like Can Themba and Bloke Modisane, used the neighborhood as their muse. They dressed in Fedora hats and double-breasted suits, channeling the style of Hollywood gangsters and Harlem intellectuals, creating a world that was cosmopolitain, intellectual, and radically multi-racial.

However, the “Bohemia” of Sophiatown was an existential threat to the National Party’s vision of total racial separation. The government viewed it as a “black spot” in a white area. In 1955, the state launched Western Areas Removal Scheme. On the morning of February 9th, 2,000 heavily armed police officers moved in, forcing families into trucks at gunpoint. They were relocated to the newly established matchbox houses of the South Western Townships (Soweto), 20 kilometers away. The resistance was led by figures like Trevor Huddleston, the Anglican priest whose church, St. Joseph’s, still stands today. Despite the slogan “Ons dak nie, ons pola hier” (We are not moving, we are staying here), the bulldozers were relentless.