The South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) has given the Eastern Cape Health Department 14 days to submit detailed responses to 27 complaints communities have raised.
The commission said it requires comprehensive written responses outlining the exact steps the department is taking to resolve each complaint. This is part of its ongoing investigation into systemic failures in public healthcare in the Eastern Cape.
The SAHRC had issued a subpoena forcing senior health officials to appear before it on Tuesday.
SAHRC received numerous community complaints
At the hearing, the commission outlined numerous community complaints, including unsafe and dilapidated health facilities, shortages of healthcare professionals, limited access to medication, prolonged water outages at clinics, and the closure of facilities without proper interim arrangements.
Other allegations include procedural unfairness affecting vulnerable patients and claims of racism at Fort Grey Hospital in East London. Advocate Loyiso Mpondo said that’s where an area manager allegedly referred to black employees as monkeys,
Challenges facing rural communities
The commission also highlighted challenges rural communities face, where multiple villages reportedly share a single clinic staffed by only one nurse, and cases where communities have built their own clinics that the department has not yet formally taken over.
Other concerns include the non-payment of service providers, which has disrupted medication supplies, and clinic closures due to safety risks.
One example is Rosedale Clinic in Gqeberha, which has reportedly been closed for months due to gang-related violence in the surrounding area. This has led to safety concerns for both staff and patients.
‘Severe infrastructure challenges, budget constraints, staffing shortages’
In response, Eastern Cape Health Head of Department, Dr Rolene Wagner, presented the department’s explanation for several disruptions, highlighting severe infrastructure challenges, budget constraints and staffing shortages.
Wagner explained that the department had faced a deficit of close to R900-million for staff salaries, forcing it to down-size its workforce. This resulted in a net loss of more than 3,200 employees in just one year.
While over 300 new staff have since been appointed, the department said shortages remain, particularly among support staff such as cleaners, porters and administrative personnel.
SAHRC wants clearer, case-specific responses
Officials also explained that some facilities were operating under unsuitable conditions, including Cwele Clinic in the Nyandeni sub-district, which had been housed in a building donated by the Roman Catholic Church. It had insufficient space and structural problems such as leaking roofs, water interruptions and electricity disconnections.
The department further noted that the Port Alfred Clinic, which suffered severe storm damage in February 2024, is being renovated and is expected to reopen in August 2026. In the interim, patients are being redirected to facilities within a five-kilometre radius.
The SAHRC maintained that clearer, case-specific responses are required.
