Cosmos City’s community call for better healthcare is heard

By Faith Mazibuko, Gauteng MEC for Health and Wellness.

We understand the frustration of residents who want a permanent health facility that provides extended services closer to where they live. Their call is legitimate and is aligned with government’s commitment to improve access to healthcare.

We commend Mr Mantshontsho and the residents who continue to advocate for improved health services. Active citizens play an important role in drawing government’s attention to community needs and holding public institutions accountable.

However, public advocacy is most effective when it is based on accurate information and a clear understanding of the responsibilities of the different government institutions involved. Some of the claims in the opinion piece therefore require clarification.

Firstly, planning for the proposed Cosmo City 24-hour Community Health Centre has not been abandoned.

Gauteng Department of Health (GDoH) has developed a business case for the facility. The document is currently being reviewed by national health planners and other key stakeholders.

This confirms that the proposed facility remains part of the Department’s planning process. However, government cannot announce a construction date before the necessary land, infrastructure planning, funding and procurement processes have been completed.

Secondly, the current Cosmo City clinic does not operate from a mobile clinic, as stated in the article. It operates from a park home structure with six consulting rooms and continues to provide primary healthcare services to the community.

Where patients require additional primary healthcare services, they are referred to OR Tambo Community Health Centre in Diepsloot. Patients requiring urgent hospital care are referred to Dr Yusuf Dadoo Hospital, the nearest district hospital serving the area.

The claim that Cosmo City has a population of more than 1.5 million is also not supported by departmental planning data. The population figure used by the Department for Cosmo City is 59 845. In addition, the District Health Information System recorded a primary healthcare headcount of 59 636 during the 2025/26 financial year. These are different measures and should not be confused with each other.

Correcting these facts does not mean that the Department is dismissing the concerns of the community. Accurate information allows government and residents to have an honest discussion about what is needed, what progress has been made and what remains outstanding.

It is also important to explain the infrastructure planning process and why the proposed facility involves several government institutions.

The GDoH Infrastructure Management Directorate is responsible for coordinating the Department’s health infrastructure requirements. This includes assessing infrastructure needs, supporting the development of the business case, identifying suitable land and coordinating the planning of the proposed facility with the relevant provincial and municipal institutions.

The Directorate must also ensure that infrastructure proposals are aligned with the Department’s service delivery plans, available resources and government’s budgeting processes. Once all the required approvals have been secured, the Directorate coordinates the project through the relevant planning, procurement and construction stages.

In this case, a site has been identified at Erf 9009 on South Africa Drive, next to the Cosmo City Fire Station. The property belongs to the City of Johannesburg.

The City must approve the donation of the land through a Council Resolution. The Johannesburg Property Company, which manages the City’s property portfolio, must process the property transaction and sign the Permission to Occupy and Build.

The process to secure the site has been underway for several years. In July 2016, a request was submitted to the City of Johannesburg through the Johannesburg Property Company for the donation of the property for the proposed health facility.

Gauteng Provincial Treasury approved the acceptance of the land donation in March 2018. In December 2018, the Johannesburg Property Company issued the Permission to Occupy and Build. The document was signed on behalf of the Provincial Government together with the donation acceptance letter.

However, the required City Council Resolution and the signature of the Johannesburg Property Company on the Permission to Occupy and Build remain outstanding. Until these municipal processes are concluded, the province cannot legally take occupation of the land and proceed with detailed infrastructure planning and construction.

These processes exist to protect public land and public funds. Nevertheless, government must acknowledge that the length of time taken to conclude them is frustrating for residents. Communities experience government as one institution and should not be expected to carry the burden of administrative delays between different institutions and spheres of government.

Accordingly, the GDoH Infrastructure Management Directorate continues to engage and follow up with the relevant stakeholders to secure the outstanding municipal approvals and move the project forward.

The proposed Cosmo City facility must also be understood within the broader commitment of the Gauteng Provincial Government to improve services at hospitals and clinics.

We unveiled seven additional mobile clinics at Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital on Tuesday, 11 August 2926. This increased the Department’s mobile clinic fleet from 46 to 53.

The latest expansion represents a 15% increase in the Department’s mobile clinic fleet. The additional units will be deployed across the Johannesburg, Tshwane, Ekurhuleni and Sedibeng health districts. The West Rand already has 15 mobile clinics, which is the largest allocation among the five districts.

The mobile clinics will provide health screening and early detection services, HIV and TB prevention and testing, services for women, children and young people, hypertension and diabetes screening, health promotion and patient referrals.

The mobile clinics complement fixed health facilities, community health workers and existing outreach programmes. District health teams will identify communities with the greatest gaps in access and develop schedules informing residents when and where the mobile clinics will operate.

These interventions do not mean that every challenge in the provincial health system has been resolved. They demonstrate that improving hospital and clinic services, strengthening health infrastructure and expanding access to healthcare remain central priorities of the Gauteng Provincial Government.

The demand for a permanent 24-hour Community Health Centre in Cosmo City is therefore not in conflict with government’s priorities. It is aligned with them.

Mr Mantshontsho and the residents of Cosmo City want better access to healthcare. The Department wants the same. Government must ensure that the project progresses through the required legal and financial processes and that commitments made to the community are realistic, properly funded and capable of being implemented.

We encourage Mr Mantshontsho and the community to continue their constructive activism and engagement with government.

The people of Cosmo City deserve clear communication, accountable government and improved access to healthcare. Delivering the proposed facility will require urgency, cooperation and accountability from all the institutions involved.

We share the same objective; the task now is to ensure that every responsible institution plays its part in moving the project forward.

Sifuna abantu baphile, we want the people of Gauteng to live healthy lives. Through #AsibeHealthyGP campaign and our regular Siyabaphilisa community outreaches, we will continue taking healthcare services directly to underserved communities.