The construction of a replacement for the worst clinic in South Africa has stalled for 15 years because of a bitter feud between two royal families in the Eastern Cape.
Cwele Clinic in Ngqeleni was supposed to have been built in 2004, but could not get off the ground because two traditional leaders – a chief and headwoman – and their subjects have been fighting about where it should be built.
Emchwebeni Tradition Council head Nkosi Zamdola Gcinintlanga Ndamase has been accused of blocking construction of the clinic, with claims that he wanted it built in Cwele Junction, which is closer to his village of Ezinduneni.
This is despite the late headwoman Nkosikazi Nobonke Zanokhanyo Ndamase, AmaMpondo aseNyandeni King Ndamase Ndamase and some villages having agreed the clinic should be built in Tinarha. This was because Tinarha is a neutral location for the three villages that would benefit from the improved health services – Cwele, Lusizini and Maqebevu (also known as Zinyosini) villages.
Zamdola and his supporters have denied he blocked development, saying the community had resolved it should be built in Cwele Junction.
The clinic would bring much-needed primary healthcare services to the area as the current one – a mud rondavel – was named as the worst in the country in 2016 by the health department.
In 2017, the provincial health department said construction of the clinic, nurses’ residence and gate house would go ahead in Tinarha but this never got off the ground.
Now the public works provincial spokesperson Vuyokazi Mbanjwa has said contractors are expected to be on site in July in Tinarha.
Proposals calling for contractors to bid for the tender closed on March 28.
“According to the letter from the Kingdom of Western Mpondoland, the Tinarha site has been agreed upon. The project period is 20 months,” Mbanjwa said on Tuesday.
In 2017, Bhisho set aside R20m for the construction of the clinic.
Asked how much would be spent on it now, Mbanjwa said: “The project has just closed for tender, awaiting all other supply chain processes.”
King Ndamase’s spokesperson, Nkosi Jongusapho Bokleni, said the king and his council had instructed Zamdola not to interfere with the process as villagers had decided on Tinarha as the location for the clinic. “Nkosikazi Nobonke died a heartbroken woman because of the delays in building the clinic.”
Bokleni said despite resistance and defiance by Zamdola, the clinic would be built in Tinarha.
“We have made it clear to him. However, Nkosi Zamdola is apparently becoming a bit defiant. But he is aware of the consequences of defying a monarch and creating anarchy among the people one leads. I can just say we are watching him,” Bokleni said.
Zamdola said he had stuck to process in identifying the clinic’s location. He confirmed the fight over the location of the clinic had begun in 2004.
“The king is my king. I respect him, but when he is wrong I must correct him. Correcting him does not mean I disrespect him. But I believe that he has been mislead by the four young men who are tenderprenuers and are in Maqebevu.“They say they are leaders of a certain development forum, which I am not even aware of and was never introduced to me.“Like [President Cyril] Ramaphosa and myself, the king is not above the authority of the people. The king should listen to the community,” he said, adding he had called a meeting on Wednesday to discuss the matter.Zamdola said there had been no traditional leader in Cwele following Nobonke’s death last year.This was dismissed by Nobonke’s eldest son, Letlaka Vuliphiko Ndamase, who said, “my younger brother Zolani took over the reins on my behalf and in the past two weeks he was duly appointed as the head of the area”.Letlaka said: “The chief understands the people of Cwele want the clinic to be built in Tinarha, but he is becoming a bully and wants to have it built somewhere else.”Vuliphiko said they were not aware of Wednesday’s meeting.Cwele community development forum deputy chair, Mphuthumi Maqubela, said: “It is the people of that area who should decide where the clinic should be. The chief is just a stumbling block to the construction of the clinic…This has nothing to do with tenders and businesses.”Maqubela said they had not been invited to Wednesday’s meeting.Provincial health spokesperson, Lwandile Sicwetsha, said: “The delay was due to the impasse between the two institutions [chiefdom and headmanship] and needed the king to intervene. But we heard that public works is starting processes to built in Tinarha.“We hope Cogta will take it further and unite the feuding institutions.”Co-operative governance & traditional affairs (Cogta) provincial spokesperson Mamkeli Ngam said: “Our regional officials are providing the necessary support to the traditional councils in question and the Nyandeni great place.“Cogta regrets the recent developments on this important service delivery project and encourages all interested parties to work together and find a good-natured solution to the impasse.”Nyandeni mayor Mesuli Ngqondwana agreed, saying the fight over the clinic’s location had severely affected service delivery.