More drama at Thelle Mogoerane hospital

Just when the management of the Thelle Mogoerane Hospital in Vosloorus thought they were at the end of the drama regarding a security contract‚ they faced difficult questions from the Treatment Action Campaign (TAC).

On Wednesday morning LL Security was able to deploy its personnel at the hospital for the first time. The company replaced Sidas Security Services‚ whose contract ended.

Earlier this week‚ police removed Sidas personnel out of the hospital. These guards‚ who learnt only on Tuesday about their contract ending‚ had vowed not to allow the new security company to work at the facility. But on Wednesday morning‚ the new guards were deployed and could start work at the hospital.

“We came here early in the morning before these guys could stop us. Yesterday night our colleagues faced a lot of resistance when trying to start work. Cars were stoned and there was a lot of drama. But this morning nobody was here to stop us‚ so we started work‚” said one of the new security guards.

But as the situation normalised at the hospital‚ TAC arrived‚ demanding to meet CEO Nomonde Mqhayi-Mbambo at the facility. Police‚ who were still within the hospital premises‚ quickly intervened and requested that a delegation of the TAC went to the CEO’s office with their officers.

TAC leadership -- general secretary Anele Yawa and deputy national chairperson Patrick Mdletshe -- agreed and went to ask the CEO to come out and meet their people outside. Mqhayi-Mbambo was meeting with her management to decide if she could go ahead and meet with TAC outside the hospital.