Nearly five years and R38-million later, Mamelodi families still don’t have a clinic

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21-02-2025
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Ground Up
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A R61-million clinic in Mamelodi, Tshwane, started in 2020, is still not ready, though the municipality has spent R38-million on the project.

City of Tshwane spokesperson Lindela Mashigo said construction work on the Lusaka Clinic started in July 2020 and the project was to have been completed at the end of July 2024.

But in August 2024 the City ended the contract with the construction company, Eternity Star Investments 231, because it had failed to meet its obligations.

Mashigo said R38-million had been spent and the clinic was “93%” complete. He said the contract had been terminated after “multiple stoppages” during the contract.

“Construction will resume after the procurement process has been finalised for appointment of a replacement contractor.”

Mashigo said the clinic is a single-storey facebrick building consisting of 21 consulting rooms with three wards.

GroundUp visited Lusaka Clinic and found the gates closed. There were piles of sand and bricks, with weeds growing inside and outside the premises.

Pensioner Emily Mazibuko said her nearest clinic was Stanza Bopape Clinic in Extension 5, about 6km away. “I must wake up early in the morning and travel,” said Mazibuko. She said she spent R30 on a return trip.

“If this clinic were completed and working, I could save this money for bread.”

Almina Ntimbe said she has to take her six-month-old baby to Stanza Bopape often for medical care. “I was happy when they started building this clinic. We live in a nice place with water and electricity. But we don’t have a clinic which is also very important in our lives.”

Asked to explain the delay in construction, Mashigo said there were several reasons, including rain, “community interruptions” and strikes, and “delayed payments that resulted in work stoppages”.

“Lastly, there was poor performance due to poor capital investment in the project by the contractor,” said Mashigo.

Mashigo did not provide further details on what caused the strikes and late payments, and what the payments were for.

GroundUp tried to reach Eternity Star Investments for comment. The Polokwane office referred us to company director Keletso Setagane. We sent him an email and followed up with a call to one of the cellphone numbers listed on the Companies and Intellectual Property Commission website.

When we called, Setagane said: “Can you respect the POPI [Protection of Personal Information] Act? I have never issued my number to anyone else. That is my response.”