Lying idle at Durban's Wentworth Hospital is a batch of donated diesel generators
Image: File
LOW VOLTAGE
More than 300 low-voltage diesel generators shipped from China are currently stored unused at a Durban hospital in KwaZulu-Natal, pending distribution to provinces.
This was revealed by Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi when he was responding to parliamentary questions from Rise Mzansi leader and MP Songezo Zibi, who brought up concerns regarding the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Health seeking additional funding to procure new generators while the donated ones were disused.
The donated generators were part of the consignment received by Electricity and Energy Minister Kgosientsho Ramokgopa in November 2023 and August 2024 after they arrived at the Durban harbour.
They were meant to be used to alleviate the impact of load shedding in the delivery of services in clinics, schools and courts whilst government continued to implement the Energy Action Plan.
Zibi noted that the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Health had received a donation of about 100 generators from the People's Republic of China to assist clinics and hospitals during inclement weather and loadshedding.
'The generators remain unused and stored at the Wentworth Hospital in Durban, amidst raising concerns about financial mismanagement,' he said.
Zibi also said the provincial department continued to seek additional funding to purchase new generators while the donated generators lay idle.
'What are the reasons that the donated generators have not been distributed and/or or utilised and is their total estimated monetary value,' he asked.
In his written response Motsoaledi said the KZN Department of Health did not receive a donation of 100 generators of varying capacities from the People's Republic of China, but only 22 generators.
He said the donation was facilitated through a deal between the Ministry of the Department of Electricity and Energy and the People's Republic of China, with a total of 328 generators earmarked for the health sector inclusive of all provinces in the country.
'The reason why these generators were stored at Wentworth Hospital in KZN, was for convenience as the point of entry was the Durban harbour, and the hospital provided the needed space for storage.'
Motsoaledi also said the generators have not been distributed to other provinces due to the size of generators donated from China, which was less than 6 KiloVolt-Amperes (KVA).
This was despite the minimum KVA requirement for a small size clinic being 20 KVA. 'The electrical engineers advised that these generators were not suitable for installation against existing electrical reticulation as they will immediately fail at commissioning,' he said.
Motsoaledi said the generators allocated to the health sector were estimated at R3 million out of a total value of approximately R160 million for the generators donated by People's Republic of China for all sectors of government.
He confirmed that KZN purchased 494 generators to the tune of R297.8m over the past three years.
'The purchasing of generators by the KZN Department of Health was necessary to respond to backup power needs at health facilities, especially with the ongoing loadshedding and load reduction measures being implemented by Eskom.
'The unused stock is meant to be used by other provinces, as the KZN Department of Health stock is not part of the generators stored at Wentworth Hospital,' he said, adding that KZNl allocated their allotment of 22 generators from the donation to their disaster management unit.
Motsoaledi stated that while the powers to institute any consequence management in the province rested with the Premier and the Heads of Department, none has taken place because no official ordered the specific generators.
'They were donated in kind,' he said.
'The national Department of Health is liaising with The Department of Electricity and Energy to facilitate a potential reallocation of the generators to a sector where they will be fit for purpose,' said Motsoaledi.
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