Two fires within a week at Tembisa Hospital are not linked

Daily Maverick

23-04-2025

Deputy Health Minister Joe Phaahla has dismissed any links between the fire that gutted the Tembisa Hospital on Saturday and a blaze that caused additional damage on Wednesday.
'In terms of the fire which happened early today, we need to state clearly that this was not a continuation of the fire on Saturday,' Deputy Health Minister Joe Phaahla said at the Tembisa Hospital on Wednesday, 23 April 2025.
Phaahla said the fires started in different areas of the hospital. Saturday's fire affected the emergency unit while Wednesday's was located in the outpatient section.
'What this says, then, from a lay person's observation, is that there is no direct linkage. So, whatever the forensics will find regarding what triggered the fire here, we are of the view that unless proven otherwise, what is apparent is that something else happened on the other side where the other fire started,' said Phaahla.
'The two areas are quite distinct,' he said.
He said that the area had already been cordoned off after the first fire on Saturday, and the power supply had been switched off.
Hospital officials said there was no CCTV footage of the areas affected by the fires and that patient records had been damaged.
Phaahla said two cases had been opened for both fires, and appealed for patience from locals as the hospital underwent repairs to restore services.
'Serious damage has happened where we have lost valuable equipment, but not a single person was injured during that period,' Phaahla said.
Despite Phaahla's comments, DA Gauteng shadow MEC for health Jack Bloom called for an investigation into possible arson.
'Surely, these incidents are suspicious. We need to know whether the security services are doing their job in preventing incidents like this.
'Are there tenderpreneurs who want to get the contracts for rebuilding the burnt sections? This cannot be ruled out as we even have criminal syndicates who sabotage the water supply so they can benefit by providing water tankers,' said Bloom on Wednesday.
'Any foul play at Tembisa Hospital needs to be speedily identified and the culprits apprehended before further fires occur.'
Government whistle-blower Babita Deokaran was investigating an alleged R1-billion in corrupt tenders related to Tembisa Hospital when she was assassinated in 2022. The murder case is currently in court.
In 2021, the Health Ombudsman found that patient Shonisani Lethole had died as a result of gross negligence at the hospital.
Services interrupted
Phaahla said that while the fire on Saturday had been extinguished, smoke was still affecting the pharmacy. He said the new fire had also been contained, but its smoke had spread to the clinic.
He estimated that the forensics team, which had taken over the site, might be busy for two weeks before they could hand the site back to the health department. He said that thereafter, the provincial health department could get building experts to assess structural integrity and other damage in preparation for repairs.
Phaahla said ambulances were being diverted from Tembisa Hospital to nearby hospitals such as Tambo Memorial Hospital and Edenvale Hospital following the fires.
He said in terms of non-emergency patients, a call had been made that those who can use other hospitals should do so, and that visiting hours were still in effect for patients still in the hospital. Eighty-one patients were evacuated in the blaze on Saturday.
He said the hospital management and the Gauteng government had ensured that services continued at the hospital, including access to medication.
He said his department was working with the Department of Labour in terms of the occupational safety measures to ensure that staff were safe and there was access to medication from the pharmacy.
Compliance
The fires occurred after the hospital claimed during an Occupational Health and Safety audit presentation in March 2025 that it had improved from 72% to 79% compliance.
'But, overall, the compliance is poor,' the DA's Bloom said.
'There has been long neglect of infrastructure; this is why the risk is elevated,' Bloom said.
Bloom said that according to the Gauteng Department of Health's figures, none of its 37 public hospitals were fully compliant with the Occupational Health and Safety Act, with a particular weakness in fire safety measures.
More than half a dozen Gauteng hospitals have been affected by fires in recent years, including Bheki Mlangeni District Hospital, Charlotte Maxeke Academic Hospital, Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital, Steve Biko Hospital, Helen Joseph Hospital and Carletonville Hospital.
The Public Service Association (PSA) has repeatedly raised concerns over the state of Tembisa Hospital.
In a statement on Tuesday, the union's Stefan Viljoen said it warned 'that the facility was on the brink of total collapse' and the fire was 'a direct consequence of the hospital management's failure to act on repeated warnings'.
'In December 2024, inspectors from the Department of Employment and Labour issued an infringement notice to the hospital, citing numerous occupational health and safety violations. Management was given until the end of February 2025 to rectify the identified hazards. To date, little has been done.
'The PSA previously highlighted alarming conditions, including cracked walls, broken taps and exposed live electrical wiring. Most concerning were the fire hazards identified in high-risk areas such as the casualty department. Earlier this year, an employee was injured after a ceiling collapsed in one of the wards, another clear indication of the urgent need for intervention.'
Accountability
According to Phaahla, there are ongoing investigations to establish the cause of both fires. He said the department would rely on the work of forensic experts to establish the cause of the blaze.
But Bloom said there had been a complete lack of accountability for previous fires in Gauteng's hospitals.
'There has been no accountability for other fires, including the Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Hospital four years ago. My view is that the CEO should have been fired, and they haven't caught [the] suspected arsonists,' said Bloom.
Phaahla said, 'We have to say most of our facilities are not fully compliant. The reason is that they are old. There is a catch-up. Incrementally, as resources become available, we will make each compliant. Many of our facilities are not compliant.'