ActionSA is dismayed, though not entirely shocked, by the announcement that Khutsong West Clinic will close its doors on 1 May 2025 due to the dangerous sinkholes threatening the safety of patients and staff. This crisis is the direct result of sustained government neglect and the continued failure to take meaningful action in addressing the dolomitic instability ravaging the Merafong community.
The closure of this clinic will devastate the health and economic well-being of residents, particularly the elderly, disabled, pregnant women, and indigent patients who rely on this facility for chronic care. With some now forced to travel over two hours to access alternative clinics, the burden on an already struggling community will be unbearable.
During ActionSA’s Listening Tour last month in Ward 8, Section B, we were taken to yet another massive sinkhole dangerously close to households. It is unacceptable that residents must live in fear of the ground collapsing beneath their feet while government officials look the other way.
This disaster is not new. In his 2023 State of the Province Address, Premier Lesufi promised urgent interventions. Yet, as we speak today, the situation has worsened, and R5 million in municipal funds allegedly spent on rehabilitation has not resulted in any completed work.
Now, after eight years of broken promises, the people of Khutsong are rightly seeking legal representation to take government to court. It’s reported that environmental activist Jeremiah Ramokgoatedi and other community leaders have already written to the Office of the President, calling for the area to be declared a national disaster zone. ActionSA supports this legal and civic action without reservation.
ActionSA Demands Immediate Answers and Interventions:
– Why were early warnings about the Khutsong sinkholes ignored by both provincial and local authorities?
– What interim plans are in place to guarantee continuous healthcare access to affected residents?
– How will patients without transport afford and access distant clinics?
– What permanent solution is being pursued to address dolomitic instability in the Merafong region?
– Why was R5 million spent on an incomplete rehabilitation near Hlanganani Primary School with no accountability?
ActionSA Calls for the Following Urgent Steps:
– Declaration of Khutsong as a Provincial and National Disaster Area.
– Immediate suspension of non-essential capital projects to redirect funding towards Merafong’s sinkhole response.
– Comprehensive geotechnical assessment and public disclosure of all high-risk zones.
– Relocation plans for at-risk households and permanent restoration of key public infrastructure, including the clinic.
– A criminal probe into the misuse of sinkhole rehabilitation funds in Merafong Municipality.
Establishment of a Provincial Multi-Stakeholder Sinkhole Task Team, with representation from civil society, disaster management, engineers and affected communities.
We cannot afford more talk. If the Gauteng Provincial Government will not act, then ActionSA will escalate this matter to the Gauteng Legislature, Parliament and the courts if necessary. This is about protecting lives, dignity and constitutional rights.
The people of Khutsong are not second-class citizens. We will not wait for a tragedy before action is taken.
ActionSA Calls For Urgent Intervention As Khutsong West Clinic Faces Closure Amid Escalating Sinkhole Crisis
ActionSA is dismayed, though not entirely shocked, by the announcement that Khutsong West Clinic will close its doors on 1 May 2025 due to the dangerous sinkholes threatening the safety of patients and staff. This crisis is the direct result of sustained government neglect and the continued failure to take meaningful action in addressing the dolomitic instability ravaging the Merafong community.
The closure of this clinic will devastate the health and economic well-being of residents, particularly the elderly, disabled, pregnant women, and indigent patients who rely on this facility for chronic care. With some now forced to travel over two hours to access alternative clinics, the burden on an already struggling community will be unbearable.
During ActionSA’s Listening Tour last month in Ward 8, Section B, we were taken to yet another massive sinkhole dangerously close to households. It is unacceptable that residents must live in fear of the ground collapsing beneath their feet while government officials look the other way.
This disaster is not new. In his 2023 State of the Province Address, Premier Lesufi promised urgent interventions. Yet, as we speak today, the situation has worsened, and R5 million in municipal funds allegedly spent on rehabilitation has not resulted in any completed work.
Now, after eight years of broken promises, the people of Khutsong are rightly seeking legal representation to take government to court. It’s reported that environmental activist Jeremiah Ramokgoatedi and other community leaders have already written to the Office of the President, calling for the area to be declared a national disaster zone. ActionSA supports this legal and civic action without reservation.
ActionSA Demands Immediate Answers and Interventions:
– Why were early warnings about the Khutsong sinkholes ignored by both provincial and local authorities?
– What interim plans are in place to guarantee continuous healthcare access to affected residents?
– How will patients without transport afford and access distant clinics?
– What permanent solution is being pursued to address dolomitic instability in the Merafong region?
– Why was R5 million spent on an incomplete rehabilitation near Hlanganani Primary School with no accountability?
ActionSA Calls for the Following Urgent Steps:
– Declaration of Khutsong as a Provincial and National Disaster Area.
– Immediate suspension of non-essential capital projects to redirect funding towards Merafong’s sinkhole response.
– Comprehensive geotechnical assessment and public disclosure of all high-risk zones.
– Relocation plans for at-risk households and permanent restoration of key public infrastructure, including the clinic.
– A criminal probe into the misuse of sinkhole rehabilitation funds in Merafong Municipality.
Establishment of a Provincial Multi-Stakeholder Sinkhole Task Team, with representation from civil society, disaster management, engineers and affected communities.
We cannot afford more talk. If the Gauteng Provincial Government will not act, then ActionSA will escalate this matter to the Gauteng Legislature, Parliament and the courts if necessary. This is about protecting lives, dignity and constitutional rights.
The people of Khutsong are not second-class citizens. We will not wait for a tragedy before action is taken.