Steenbok receives a refurbished clinic
The clinic which took less than three years to renovate, was donated by local mining company Afrimat.
An efficient booking system that will allow patients to book appointments and curb long queues is currently in the pipeline for Mpumalanga clinics. This is according to the MEC of the Mpumalanga Department of Health, Sasekani Manzini, while recently addressing the community of Steenbok during the opening ceremony of their newly refurbished clinic.
In her speech, Manzini said that 84% of the communities in Mpumalanga rely on the public sector for health, therefore putting a strain on the department. This clinic, donated by local mining company Afrimat, has brought much relief to the department itself, she said.
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“Infrastructure has been one of our frustrations for a long time. It gives us pleasure and relief to have companies assist us in throwing a hand on this quest to make the lives of our communities better. We would like to thank Afrimat for this generous donation that will help not only the community, but the department as well.”
Sasekani went on to encourage citizens to make a habit of checking their health status regularly, as this will help monitoring whatever irregularities are found in the body. She further added that people should normalise carrying ID documents when they go for their clinic visits.
“It is very important for a person to do regular check-ups in the clinic – you don’t only have to visit when you are sick. You need to know your blood pressure, your HIV status, and everything there is to check. Do not wait until you get sick. I would also like to encourage local citizens to stick to one clinic and carry your IDs when you visit. We are right at the border of two countries, which makes it easier for people to come from other countries to look for health services. It is much better for us to know that priority will be given to South African citizens in this case, and you will be easily recognised if you carry your ID,” she said.
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This clinic was built in record time. According to Afrimat’s executive director, Collin Ramukhubathi, this has been one of the fastest projects they had done in Nkomazi.
“We have been in Nkomazi since 2019 and have done two projects so far, this being our third one. The relationship we have had with our stakeholders was indicative that this project would run smoothly and on record time. When we took over the mine from its previous owners at Mangweni, there were so many issues that we have had to deal with. We’ve had to cease production and drain water from underground for six months. We’ve had strikes as well.
“But we have managed to build two community halls, one in Skhwahlane and one in Madadeni. We are not working at our full potential yet, but we are willing to do more for Nkomazi and we hope for a positive feedback and great relationship,” said Ramukhubathi.
The event was also graced by the presence of Nkomazi’s executive mayor, Phindile Magagula, and her team, the Kwalugedlane Tribal Authority and the community at large.
