Pretoria councillor in row over hospital jobs

A group of South African National Civic Organisation (Sanco) members marched to Pretoria West Hospital to hand over a memorandum to demand jobs for locals on renovation projects.

Sanco member from ward 60 in Pretoria West, Sindile Taunyane, said they wanted their previous agreement with the hospital management to be reinstated without the councillor’s interference.

“We want the hospital to consider local community members for work opportunities, projects and supplies,” he said.

“Unfortunately, the local councillor, Mpati Ramphile, has gone to the hospital and challenged our agreement and changed it for his benefit. He appointed his friends on projects and even appointed his wife.”

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Taunyane said they would also draw up a petition against the councillor and direct it to the speaker of the City of Tshwane to open a case against the councillor.

“He opened a case of harassment against us, but we did not harass him,” he said.

Thabo Makhola, Sanco community member from Danville, said they were unhappy with how the councillor had ran the businesses in the area.

“He can’t be involved in the hospital. He is supposed to be doing service delivery. It’s concerning and that’s why we want to expose him,” he said.

Makhola said people from Limpopo were given jobs to do maintenance at the hospital.

“I have tried to engage him several times, but he doesn’t come to the meetings,” he said.

Councilor responds

However, Ramphile said he had to open a case of harassment and defamation of character to clear his name.

“I am well aware of the accusations that the so-called community is making. It’s only a group of people and not the entire ward,” Ramphile said.

He said that a group of community members have tried to hijack other projects around the area, such as TUT and Weskoppies Hospital.

Ramphile said his wife worked for the hospital long before he was elected as a ward councillor.

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“I don’t work for the hospital or the department, how can they accuse me of nepotism?” he said.

Ramphile said the group of community members have stopped projects at the hospital.

“The community members have called me on numerous times, demanding to meet with me to discuss projects at the hospital.

“But I am not a councillor of projects, I am a councillor of service delivery,” he said.

“I don’t want to get involved with this any further. I have now handed it over to the authorities so that they can deal with the perpetrators who are trying to destroy my name and family.”