Anglo Gold Ashanti donated the hospital building for this purpose at the beginning of the lockdown. AGA’s spokesperson, Chris Nthite, said at the time (2 April 2020) that it was “in good condition and has the necessary oxygen piping infrastructure and other design elements needed for a fully-functioning hospital. The Gauteng Department of Health is working to ensure it is fully equipped and recommissioned in the coming weeks”. Despite this, the building is still not ready for patients. On Monday, the contractors appointed by the provincial health department were still at the site. Scaffolding had been erected against the main gate and numerous workers were active there. “This project was supposed to be completed at the beginning of July. When we first got there, the hospital only needed some paint and other small changes. All the extra work that is now being done is not necessary and is just wasting money. Someone needs to investigate this,” says a community leader from the area, Mr Chucku Kerileng, who has also been employed at the site. Although the Herald has tried to get into the site to check how far the project is from completion, security personnel at the gate previously refused the newspaper entrance. The newspaper contacted the spokes- person for the Gauteng Department of Infrastructure Development, Ms Bongiwe Gambu, about the problems on Tuesday. The newspaper also tried to determine how far work at the isolation site at the Abe Bailey nature reserve had progressed. She had not responded by the time of the newspaper going to print, however. In October one of the men working at the site also tried to intimidate the Herald’s journalist by chasing after her when she visited the site.
