Weskoppies power restored after being cut off
Electricity has been fully restored to the Weskoppies Psychiatric Hospital after the Tshwane Metro disconnected the facility for failure to pay its debt of over R1-million.
In the statement released by the Gauteng Department of Health (GDoH), the department said it reached an agreement with the metro.
'The GDoH wishes to notify the public that the electricity supply at Weskoppies Hospital has been restored following an agreement with the City of Tshwane. The department's contingency plans ensured that services continued as per normal amid the electricity supply disconnection. We reiterate that patient care was never compromised during the hours in which the facility had to rely on its backup system of five generators and a solar system,' the statement read.
The disconnection took place on May 5 when the metro led by Mayor Dr Nasiphi Moya, under the Thswane Ya Tima campaign, paid a visit to the hospital.
At the time, it owed R1.2-million to the city for consecutive months on non-payment.
The GDoH had stated that the money owed to the metro for March and April's electricity usage was underway at the time of the disconnection, and that not enough time had passed for the payment to reflect.
The delay was due to the transition to the new financial year, and the department said it had been in the process of paying multiple amounts to various service providers.
The move by the metro garnered mixed reactions from the public, who believe that this was a step too far, and cutting power to mentally-ill patients is a decision that should have been avoided.
Moya, however, remained adamant that government institutions that fail to honour their debts with the metro can expect a visit from them any day.
She has since addressed the backlash, saying that the decision was not taken lightly, though enforcing credit control is their responsibility.
The mayor acknowledged the vital role that hospitals play and assured residents that patient care was considered before the disconnection.
'I want to assure residents that the hospital's backup power systems remained fully operational during the disconnection, and patient care was not compromised. This was confirmed by the GDoH in its own public statement. I would not have allowed the disconnection if it would have left the facility without power and the subsequent impact on patient care,' Moya said.
Moya said the city did not act without due process out of good faith and had previously agreed not to proceed with disconnection, recognising the GDoH's financial year-end in March.
She said the metro accepted the GDoH's assurance that payment would be made in early April, and despite multiple follow-ups, no payment was received, leaving them with no alternative.
'Government departments currently owe the city more than R1.6-billion for services rendered. The city is beginning a recovery from a long period of financial distress, and our ability to deliver quality services to millions of residents depends on consistent revenue collection from all customer groups. Ensuring that everyone, including government departments, honours their financial obligations, is essential to sustaining service delivery for our residents,' Moya said.
She said the metro will continue to enforce credit control to create a culture of payment and accountability, and that no account in arrears would be spared, whether private, business or government.
Watch here:
The fourth stop for Tshwane Ya Tima is in the CBD. This facility owes the City of Tshwane R1 million. We've switched them off.
We encourage all customers who have outstanding bills with the city to settle them. @CityTshwane pic.twitter.com/0FS22OqAOO
— Dr Nasiphi Moya (@nasiphim) May 5, 2025
Do you have more information about the story?
Please send us an email to bennittb@rekord.co.za or phone us on 083 625 4114.
For free breaking and community news, visit Rekord's websites: Rekord East
For more news and interesting articles, like Rekord on Facebook, follow us on Twitter or Instagram or TikTok.
At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Citizen
a day ago
- The Citizen
MEC Ralehoko sends off Gauteng Health staff to Comrades Marathon
GAUTENG.- Forty-five (45) #AsibeHealthyGP ambassadors are set to take health and wellness to the fore by participating in the Comrades Marathon taking place on Sunday, June 8. The race covers 88km starting in Pietermaritzburg and finishing in Durban. The Gauteng MEC for Health and Wellness, Nomantu Nkomo-Ralehoko yesterday, (Thursday, June 5) bid farewell to the Gauteng Department of Health's (GDoH) Athletics Team that will be participating in 'the Ultimate Human Race' and carrying the aspirations of over 82 000 colleagues who wish them nothing but the best in their running. 'Your commitment to health and wellness is truly inspiring. By participating in this marathon, you showcase the values we uphold in our department and the broader community. Remember, every step you take is proof to your hard work and determination. Whether you cross the finish line first or last, your participation alone is a victory worth celebrating. Your courage and dedication serve as a beacon of inspiration for us all,' the MEC said. This year's race is under the theme 'More Than A Race – Isiko Mpilo'. At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
The Citizen
2 days ago
- The Citizen
R72m foot-and-mouth vaccine delivery due mid-June
Karan Beef says vaccination efforts are contingent on 'availability from the state'. The outbreak 'is expected to cause major disruptions to the national beef supply chain'. Picture: iStock The Department of Agriculture expects a R72 million shipment of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) vaccines to arrive in South Africa by the second week of June. Dipepeneneng Serage, Deputy Director-General: Agricultural Production, Biosecurity and Natural Resources Management, tells Moneyweb the vaccines are being imported from Botswana 'due to South Africa's limited domestic manufacturing capacity'. The department has estimated the vaccine requirements for FMD for the 2025/2026 financial year at R1.2 billion, with each dose expected to cost around R100, Agriculture Minister John Steenhuisen said in a statement earlier. But this amount may have to be increased, says Serage, after Karan Beef, one of South Africa's largest exporters, confirmed on Monday that a case of foot-and-mouth disease was detected at the Heidelberg facility on Friday 30 May. 'The R1.2 billion estimate was only for FMD protection zones in KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo and Mpumalanga and we did not anticipate a [recent] case in Gauteng and the outbreak at Karan Beef,' he adds. Karan Beef notes in a statement that approximately 120 000 cattle are housed at the affected facility. 'The company produces an estimated 100 million kilograms of beef annually from this site alone. Vaccination efforts are contingent on 'availability from the state'. 'Once initiated, a 14-day vaccination programme will commence, followed by a 14-day observation period.' ALSO READ: Foot-and-mouth disease outbreak rocks South Africa's cattle industry FMD in South Africa Serage says the department routinely vaccinates animals in areas in South Africa bordering known FMD zones, such as near the Kruger National Park in Mpumalanga as well as the Mfolozi Local Municipality and the Hluhluwe iMfolozi Park, both in KZN. 'From time to time you see cases of FMD spilling over into areas outside the protection zones in areas where there haven't been vaccinations. If it's like that, it's manageable.' However, the situation has become more complex. 'In KZN, FMD has started flaring up in areas where we're not supposed to have it and we've been battling that since the beginning of this year,' Serage notes. Potential outbreaks in the Free State and Gauteng, which both border four other provinces, will be particularly problematic. The detection of FMD at Karan Beef follows an earlier incident in Gauteng on the East Rand on communal farmland. 'We're busy managing that. In a way it's easier when it's at a commercial feedlot like Karan because then you can place the entire feedlot under quarantine.' Serage says South Africa is in the process of ramping up its vaccine manufacturing capacity, but in the meantime the imported vaccines are suitable for South Africa, as the two countries are battling the same strain of FMD. 'So, their vaccine works for us.' ALSO READ: Industry warns of meat price spike and hunger as SA faces supply crisis Karan's next steps Investigations are still underway to determine the source of the outbreak, says Dr Dirk Verwoerd, senior feedlot veterinarian at Karan Beef. Currently, around 2% of the herd is infected, and no animals are being moved in or out of the Heidelberg feedlot during this period. Once vaccinations are complete, Karan plans to begin a controlled slaughter-out process under veterinary supervision. No mass culling is planned at this stage. The group notes that the outbreak has come at the height of weaning season and is expected to cause major disruptions to the national beef supply chain. With feedlot capacity now limited, farmers may be forced to hold on to calves for longer than usual. Karan Beef has also suspended all exports. ALSO READ: Ban on Brazil poultry imports adds to SA food insecurity Despite this setback, the company says its national network of facilities enables it to continue operations on a reduced scale. Unaffected sites will be used to support feeding capacity where possible. According to the statement, Karan Beef is 'working closely with veterinary authorities and following structured protocols to contain the outbreak with urgency and responsibility'. 'While the animals are not severely ill, the control measures are substantial and have a wide impact across the industry,' says Verwoerd. This article was republished from Moneyweb. Read the original here.
Daily Maverick
2 days ago
- Daily Maverick
Polluted SA air killed 42,000 in 2023, study finds — yet loopholes persist
Air pollution cost South Africa more than R960bn and 42,000 lives in 2023, a new report finds, but the government keeps extending emissions exemptions. In 2023 alone, 42,000 South Africans died from exposure to fine particle pollution (PM2.5), including more than 1,300 children under five, according to a new report released on 3 June by Greenpeace Africa and the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA). The report, Unmasking the Toll of Fine Particle Pollution in South Africa, estimates that PM2.5 pollution cost the country more than R960-billion in 2023 – equivalent to 14% of GDP – through premature deaths, illness, lost productivity and overburdened health systems. PM2.5 refers to airborne particles smaller than 2.5 micrometres, mainly formed by burning coal and fuel. These particles, as CREA analyst Lauri Myllyvirta previously explained to Daily Maverick, are 'small enough to pass from lungs to the bloodstream and wreak havoc on all our internal organs'. Communities in the Highveld region and Gauteng and Mpumalanga provinces, which are home to the country's largest coal-fired power plants and industrial zones, are hardest hit. Professor Rajen Naidoo, head of Occupational and Environmental Health at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, said that the report adds to reports over the years which have emphasised the serious health risks faced by South Africans due to air pollution and its inadequate regulation. 'While the headlines are likely to be grabbed by the number of deaths (rightly so), it must be borne in mind that for every death, there are those with disabling chronic conditions caused by air pollution,' said Naidoo. He highlighted that the report captured this through the measure called years lived with disability (YLD). According to the report, in 2023, exposure to PM2.5 particles led to more than 100,000 years lived with disability in South Africa, due to chronic diseases like lung and heart conditions, strokes, and diabetes: 'Exposure to PM2.5 also contributes significantly to chronic diseases and disabilities of the overall population. Annual exposure to PM2.5 is associated with 26,000 years lived with disability (YLDs) due to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; 20,000 YLDs due to stroke; 64,000 YLDs due to diabetes; and 19,000 due to Alzheimer's and other dementias.' 'The real burden lies in the most disadvantaged communities near coal-fired power stations, already marginalised and now also carrying the health burden,' said Naidoo. He said children in these areas were affected even before birth, with pollution and poverty combining to weaken immune systems, stunt development and trap families in cycles of poor health. A call to end exemptions 'Science is unequivocal,' said Cynthia Moyo, climate and energy campaigner at Greenpeace Africa. 'The air South Africans breathe is toxic, and the corporations driving this crisis must no longer be protected by silence or inaction.' Greenpeace Africa is calling for: An immediate end to air pollution exemptions for major emitters; Full enforcement of national air quality standards; A just transition to renewable energy that centres affected communities; and Public access to real-time pollution data. The report also shows that if South Africa were to follow the World Health Organization (WHO) air quality standards guidelines for PM2.5, it could prevent up to 33,000 deaths a year. The WHO's guideline for PM2.5 is five micrograms per cubic metre (µg/m³) as an annual average. South Africa's existing national standards for PM2.5 are pretty weak at 20 µg/m³ annual average, but it isn't even meeting those. The report found that South Africans were breathing air with 26 µg/m³ PM2.5 on average. The report points out that if South Africa were to meet existing national standards (20 µg/m³ annual average), it could save more than 9,000 lives annually. Why do we emit more than the law allows? The National Environmental Management: Air Quality Act sets both Minimum Emission Standards (MES), which industries are allowed to emit, and Ambient Air Quality Standards, the pollution limits for outdoor air. In 2020, the MES for total particulate matter was updated to 50 milligrams per cubic meter (mg/Nm³), down from 100 mg/Nm³. Even with a decreased limit, this remains far higher than global benchmarks. Even so, Eskom could not comply. Instead, it applied for and received exemptions. As Daily Maverick has reported, Eskom has repeatedly secured postponements and exemptions from complying with MES. In March 2025, the government granted further exemptions for several power stations, citing the need to avert deepening the country's electricity crisis. While the exemptions come with 'strict conditions' – including pollution controls, air quality monitoring and emissions reporting – critics say these are seldom enforced with rigour or transparency. The 2022 high court ruling in the 'Deadly Air' case found that the government's failure to enforce air quality standards in the Highveld Priority Area violated residents' constitutional rights. Yet, the latest exemptions suggest energy security continues to trump environmental and health concerns. The CREA/Greenpeace report argues that these exemptions have enabled major polluters, particularly Eskom, to delay emissions reductions, prolonging dangerously high pollution levels. The report urges the government to end exemptions, tighten enforcement and align air quality standards with the WHO's latest guidelines. 'South Africa's Constitution guarantees the right to a healthy environment, but that right is being violated every day by polluters,' added Dr Jamie Kelly, health impact assessment team lead at CREA. 'Communities deserve clean air, not corporate impunity.' How do we know PM2.5 kills? The report's estimates are based on globally recognised models that link PM2.5 exposure to premature deaths from heart disease, stroke, respiratory illness and more. Dr Rosa Gierens, data scientist and co-author of the report, explained that these integrated exposure-response functions, endorsed by the WHO, use decades of large epidemiological studies to estimate 'excess deaths' – lives lost due to unsafe air. Research consistently shows that when PM2.5 levels fall, mortality also decreases. The report combined PM2.5 concentrations (sourced from satellite data, ground monitoring and atmospheric models) with population and health data from the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) database to calculate health impacts. This approach, used in peer-reviewed global health research, allows researchers to estimate disease risk across age groups and conditions while adjusting for factors such as smoking and income. Profits over people 'Behind these deaths lies a simple truth: polluters are poisoning our air and putting profits above people,' said Greenpeace Africa. As Jesse Burton from the Energy Systems Research Group at UCT p reviously told Daily Maverick, 'Air pollution control might seem like a 'nice to have', but pollution has very real impacts on people's lives and livelihoods, including sickness, premature deaths and work days lost.' Naidoo also questioned who truly benefited from 'cheap' coal power. 'Coal provides cheap electricity for the major industrial enterprises with their tax privileges, while the state then has to take care of those who suffer the health consequences of air pollution.' DM
