Eastern Cape mothers slept on hospital floors and shared beds, Parliament hears
The Commission for Gender Equality told Parliament on Wednesday that women who had just given birth in Eastern Cape hospitals slept on the floor and on benches because there were not enough beds.
The Eastern Cape's Economic Development, Environmental Affairs and Tourism Department aims to boost the province's tourism industry by hosting more international events. MEC Nonkqubela Pieters announced this at the Skål International World Congress opening at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in Gqeberha. The province seeks to diversify its economy, which has traditionally depended heavily on the automotive sector.
Pieters highlighted the congress, which gathers delegates from 85 countries, as an opportunity to showcase the province to tourism professionals worldwide. "If restaurants are operating, that means farmers are benefiting from that by supplying food to these restaurants," Pieters explained. "The accommodation here in Nelson Mandela Bay is fully booked, indicating that establishments are hiring temporary workers to assist.
This has resulted in job creation during this period." In 2025, the province welcomed 350,000 international tourists, and Pieters aims to see this number increase in the future.
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- Eastern Cape aims to expand tourism industry sabcnews.com
