Food parcels to Limpopo hospitals rejected
A WELL-KNOWN charity organisation, Gift of the Givers, has been refused entry to two hospitals in Limpopo by the health department to deliver food to patients.
The organisation has been providing food to hospitals in the province following a shortage late last year. But it was shocked when it was refused entry to Lebowakgomo and Zebediela hospitals on Monday.
Patrick Thomas, a field worker of the organisation, said yesterday he did not understand why they were refused permission while the institutions were in dire need of food to feed their patients.
He said they had gone to deliver bags of mielie meal, samp, beans and cooking oil.
Thomas said after they were refused permission they ended up delivering the food parcels at a local creche in Zebediela.
"We discovered that the creche was also in dire need of food," he said.
It was reported last week that most of hospitals in the province have run out of food because service providers had failed to deliver food.
The service providers had also raised concerns that they had run out of capital to purchase the food required at the institutions. Unless payment was made for the services they had rendered, the situation in the hospitals would remain the same.
The provincial departments of health, public works, treasury, education and roads and transport had been placed under administration after their finances had dried up. The departments' procurement processes were also found to have been flawed, leading to the financial crisis.
According to Joe Maila, spokesman for the provincial department of health, the organisation had failed to make proper arrangements in terms of its intentions.
"We have 44 hospitals in the province. And not all of them are in dire need of food," Maila said.
He said it was imperative that the organisation approach them so they can help it in identifying institutions experiencing serious food shortages.
"We do not reject any form of assistance but would appreciate it if that kind of help is communicated to us first," he said.
Meanwhile the SA Communist Party in Limpopo yesterday called on the national government to place the whole Limpopo government under administration.
SACP interim secretary Gilbert Kganyago accused Premier Cassel Mathale's administration of failing to cooperate with the national team in good faith.
In giving a breakdown, he said agriculture department's fruitless and wasteful expenditure amounted to R2,608-million, with local government and housing recording R5-million, public works R219-million, social development R30,312-million, and the premier's office recording R152-million, as identified by the auditor-general.
nevus
let them die bloody bastards let them starve to death nxa,this shitty province must be donated to Egypt once and for all.Report Abuse
sekhebereshe
why, why mara...its better to have sick people starve than to have your egos and pride tempered with..everyone knows how bad the situation in limpopo is...you cannot hide anymo.Report Abuse
RobinH
"the organisation had failed to make proper arrangements in terms of its intentions." WTF!? Public announcements of dire need and when people come with desperately needed supplies they are met with absurd red tape like this. There is absolutely no sense to it at all. Is it perhaps that officials were thus given insufficient time to work out ways of siphoning off goods to be sold for private gain? A thought one can't help but entertain. Certainly nothing else makes sense.Report Abuse
Mahlol'adibona
Up until such time that we learn that our liberators are actually our k!llers, then we have to acceept the situation we find ourselves in. The majority of voters in this land are just stupid and can't contemplate what they put themselves in. The figures quoted here are just top of the iceberg as more money has been wasted in this province. Nepotism is rampant, cronism is rampant, corruption is rampant, etc.Report Abuse
LLCool
do i have to get a permission to give someone who is starving a food? this politicians are morrooons. why keep on voting them?Report Abuse
MERCDRIVER
@Nevus, that's the most irresponsible statement uttered with emotions. Anyway, who wouldn't get angry after the cruelty of the corrupt leaders in Limpopo? Why do they block the food aid? B.loody agents.The fact remains that the premier Cassel Mathale is the most corrupt in the province. Apparently if anyone needs a fat tender he has to go into agreement with him (Cassel lite) that they go 60/40 on the deal. That makes him richer. How does he do business as a premier and a politician? Did he discover brent crude in his backyard? Is he selling clothes or fruits like most of the poor enterpreneurs in Limpopo? No, the goverment is his main source of income through tenders that he indirectly awards his companies and allies. After Mangaung Mathale must be removed, PERIOD. The reason why he was voted into power again is because most of his allies benefit from tenders and they used the proceeds to convince the delegates to vote for him or else they must forget about the tenders. Go to Limpopo now, you'll find very young boys who have never worked are driving Range Rovers or C63 AMGs all at the expense of taxpayers. The service providers are also rumoured to be inflating the prices under the guidance of government officials so that that they can get a cut...prices go up to 8-times the normal price.
President Jacob Zuma must emerge as a winner for the sake of saving the provinces from these monsters who squander the taxpayers' monies. Motlanthe is just a puppet that will never get rid of corruption but only reward his cronies with more tenders. Jacob Zuma for the second term and to save the ANC from collapsing
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Tikoloshe
nevus"let them die bloody bastards let them starve to death nxa,this shitty province must be donated to Egypt once and for all."
Viva Nevus....let these Pedis and Lembas die....these people that say..."my King JUJU...we love you Mothale", .....while these "KINGS" eat all the money and steal from the poor...using looted provincial funds to advance their politial career!!!
These people that spit in the face of our President Umsholozi, hand this province to Mad BOB...Mzansi has had enough of their disgusting behavior.
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CHRISMOGOTSI-LETHLABILE-
@RobinH ...WHAT DO YOU KNOW? YOU ARE IN A SERIOUS DARKNESS...U NEED HELPReport Abuse
coldi
they are tired of people eating MASONJA and mealie meal everyday,,WHILE MALEMA IS BUSSY ATTENDING CLASSES OF ADAPTING TO OCEAN BASKET MENU,,,,,,it will only take 6months to complete the course,,,the very difficult meal to eat according to him is prawns and muscles also calamari,,,ha ha haReport Abuse