Election on health: Kimberley mortuary project standing idle as state facility overflows [Video & Pics]

In the Northern Cape province, a new state mortuary project in Kimberley remains unfinished two years after construction began. Located near Green Street in the Galeshewe suburb, the project was halted due to complications with the initial contractor. The site, situated near the Northern Cape legislature and West End Hospital, is now a mere brick shell protruding from the sand.

Dudley Dally, President of the Northern Cape Chamber of Commerce and Industry, lamented that the existing state mortuary had been condemned in June, citing health and safety compliance issues. He attributed the project's stagnation to a lack of funding and the contractor's inability to complete the work. The Northern Cape Department of Health (DoH) has not responded to queries about the project's status, but the National Treasury provided some details.

The project, which began in September 2020, had an initial expected total cost of R203 million, with R26 million spent thus far. The health department has allocated R5 million for the current financial year, with an additional R200 million to be provided in the next two financial years. The project is expected to resume in January 2027, with completion anticipated by the end of July 2028.

The issue stems from a legal dispute between the Northern Cape DoH and the contractor, which has led to the contractor abandoning the site. Parliamentarians have criticized the ongoing instability within the health sector, with Premier Zamani Saul reshuffling his executive following the resignation of health MEC Maruping Lekwene. The DA Northern Cape leader, Isak Fritz, blamed mismanagement for the department's "significant degeneration."

In the municipal government, the ANC expelled five members of Kimberley's Sol Plaatje municipality in June over municipal mismanagement. The organization reiterated its commitment to discipline, accountability, and ethical leadership, stating that conduct undermining the movement's values would not be tolerated.