R2m Copesville clinic lays in ruins
“There is no operating health facility in Copesville and the community will have to travel 10km for their ailments.”
|||Durban - The brand new, R2-million clinic that was due to open in Copesville next week, and which was burned down by a rioting mob, is now just a distressing and crumpled ruin.
Now there are fears that the old structure which it was going to replace, will also be destroyed, the MEC for Health, Dr Sibongiseni Dhlomo, said when he visited the scene to assess the damage on Wednesday.
“We were just getting ready to open the clinic - now it is no more. What is worse now is that we are even removing all the medical equipment in the old structure as we fear that it, too, will be destroyed,” Dhlomo said when he combed the scene with the uMgungundlovu health district manager, May Zuma Nkhonza, and the sister in charge of the clinic, Dione Carson.
Earlier this week, Copesville residents closed the Greytown Road as they protested against ward councillor Thandi Ndlovu, demanding that she be removed from office for her alleged “poor service delivery”.
They torched her house and office and then burned down the new clinic that was to replace the dilapidated Masons Clinic that was operating in a Human Settlement house.
It would have boasted air-conditioning, 14 consulting rooms, two huge waiting areas, ablution facilities and a kitchen for staff.
The MEC sympathised with the community for the loss of their new clinic, adding: “What is sad about the whole thing is that there is no operating health facility in Copesville at the moment, and community members will now have to travel 10km to Eastwood and Northdale Clinics for their ailments.”
Meanwhile, following two days of violent service delivery protests, the suburb appeared calm on Wednesday as protesters agreed to hold off on any further action until they had been addressed by the city’s leadership.
Msunduzi Mayor Chris Ndlela confirmed that municipal representatives had met with protest leaders and were in discussions to resolve the situation.
“We now have a clear picture of what the specific issues in the area are, and will move from there. We are very concerned at what is going on in the area, and will act immediately once we know all the factors,” said Ndlela.
Even though the area appeared calm on Wednesday, a heavy police presence was monitoring the situation.
Small pockets of community members were seen carrying placards and toy-toying at sporadic street corners.
Around 2 000 protesters held the suburb hostage on Monday, demanding that ward councillor Thandi Ndlovu be removed from her position, and bemoaning her inability to provide them with basic services, such as water, sanitation and electricity.
Twenty-four people were arrested and charged with public violence.
They appeared in court and were released on warning on Tuesday.
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