Durban – A small group of people claiming to represent a community in Durban blocked hospital gates with rubble dumped from a truck.
In a statement, the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Health said Pixley Ka-Isaka Seme Memorial Hospital gates were blocked with rubble unloaded by a truck on Wednesday morning.
The department said the group claimed to represent the local community.
It said that the group, which is known to the department, stopped a truck driver and forced him to unload rubble in front of the hospital gates.
“They were demanding that the department should employ them at the hospital and that services that are outsourced be ‘given’ to them,” the department said.
“The department has had several meetings with representatives of the group about their grievances, and the head of department, Dr Sandile Tshabalala, is dealing with the matter.”
The department acknowledged that unemployment is rife and affected the entire country, including the people of Inanda, Ntuzuma and KwaMashu (INK), where the new hospital is situated.
“The department has nevertheless, on several occasions, and through various media platforms, communicated the recruitment processes that were followed in filling posts at the facility, including the fact that it received more than 500 000 applications, whereas it had just under 1 500 available vacancies,” the department said.
The Health Department also explained that it has finalised all the necessary steps in filling all the vacancies that were available.
“Additionally, as part of the process of employing workers at this hospital, the department ensured that the people of eThekwini received priority, particularly in the filling of labour-intensive and semi-skilled posts,” the department said.
The department added that it will continue to work closely with law enforcement agencies to ensure stability at the facility.
Meanwhile, in April 2021, Tshabalala said they would be hiring people who have the skills required in a regional hospital.
He said applicants from INK areas would get posts, including those in eThekwini, but for any and every other skill that was needed, the government would source accordingly.
Health MEC Nomagugu Simelane revealed that the department had received more than 300 000 applications for just over 1 500 posts.
In March 2021, thousands of nurses descended on the hospital and planned to ace the written assessment to be hired.
According to the department, they had only called 250 professional nurses to attend the assessment.
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