NEHAWU Free State Statement On the Collapse of Health Insititutions in the Province
Wednesday July 22, 2026
The National Education, Health and Allied Workers’ Union [NEHAWU] the Free State is outraged by the continued collapse of health institutions in the Free State Province, which reflects nothing less than the provincial government’s gross negligence and contempt for the lives of workers and communities.
On 15 July 2026, the Department of Labour once again issued a prohibition notice against the Provincial Government Mortuary due to blatant non-compliance with the Occupational Health and Safety Act. This mortuary has become a repeat offender, having been closed in 2024 and late last year for violations of OHS regulations. The prohibition was lifted to give the employer a chance to comply, yet the Department of Health squandered that opportunity.
The failure to ensure a functional HVAC system which is essential for ventilation in the dissection area and the absence of water supply are not minor oversights. They are reckless acts that compromise workers’ safety and deny grieving families the dignity of timely burials. The department has allowed corpses to pile up, forcing limited operations in Botshabelo and causing unnecessary delays for families. This is a disgrace. The mortuary is only the tip of the iceberg. The rot runs deep.
The Masilo Clinic in Theunissen has become a tragic symbol of the department’s failure in that, on the 10 June 2026, it was closed due to lack of water. The prohibition was lifted on the 06th July 2026 and the clinic was closed again on the 17th July 2026 as a result of lack of water and no electricity at all in a clinic and this is hardly after just two weeks of operation.
This clinic serves nearly a 30,000 population of both Masilo and Theunissen, who are now left without healthcare services since another clinic in the Lusaka area was closed in 2024. The repeated closures show a government incapable of sustaining even the most basic services. The department of labour has officially closed PAX Clinic following the issuance of a prohibition notice due to serious OHS regulations none compliance and dilapidated facility.
The Meloding Clinic in Virginia has been closed as due to a severe water crisis and electricity that rendered the health facility unsafe and unsuitable for continued operation.
The rot extends further. The District Office in Welkom- Kopano CHC has been without electricity for almost five months now. The Department of Labour has now closed that facility due to non-compliance with OHS standards. This is a shocking indictment of a department that cannot even keep the lights on in its own offices.
The Medical Depot in Bloemfontein, other sections remain closed due to non-compliance with OHS standards, disrupting the supply of medicines and equipment. These closures are not isolated incidents but part of a systemic collapse of health infrastructure in the province.
NEHAWU condemns the department of health for its repeated failures that has demonstrated a shocking disregard for the law, for workers’ safety, and for the basic rights of communities. This is not incompetence alone, it is a betrayal of public trust.
The government’s inability to maintain even the most basic services like water, electricity, and ventilation systems exposes its lack of political will and accountability. It is unacceptable that in 2026, communities are denied healthcare because of government negligence and corruption.
We believe that this decisive action by the department of Labour was taken to safeguard workers, patients and the broader community from unacceptable risks identified during inspections.
As NEHAWU, we demand the immediate restoration of services at the mortuary, Masilo Clinic, Lejweleputswa District office and the Medical Depot. Furthermore, an urgent compliance with OHS regulations across all health facilities and a comprehensive, long-term plan to prevent repeated closures and ensure uninterrupted healthcare.
Failure to act will leave NEHAWU with no choice but to escalate matters. The union will take the Department of Health to task to ensure compliance in all health institutions. We will not allow workers and communities to suffer under a government that refuses to meet its obligations.
The state of health in the Free State Province is a ticking time bomb. NEHAWU warns the provincial government: enough is enough. The people cannot continue to pay the price for your incompetence. Respect the law, respect the workers, and respect the communities or face the consequences.
END
NEHAWU free State Secretariat
Khauhelo Mnqibisa [Provincial Secretary] at 063 685 1887 or email Khauhelo@nehawu.org.za Visit https://www.nehawu.org.za
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