City banks on 'appropriate safety measures' after threats shut clinic

THE Khayelitsha clinic forced to shut after suspected extortionists threatened security personnel is expected to reopen on Monday, subject to final safety checks and the implementation of appropriate protocols based on a risk assessment.

The City of Cape Town said services at the Town Two facility were suspended to ensure that appropriate safety measures could be put in place. 

A mobile clinic has been operating at the Metro Police offices in Mandela Park, issuing chronic medication to clients enrolled in adherence clubs and to those scheduled to collect patient medicine parcels through the Chronic Dispensing Unit (CDU) partnership. Immunisation and reproductive health services have also been provided, and residents have been referred to nearby clinics where necessary.

The City confirmed that the incident this week has since been reported to the police. 

“We strongly condemn threats against healthcare workers and any disruption of services to a vulnerable community. No criminal elements can be allowed to hold essential services to ransom. We know how important this clinic is to residents, and we thank the community for their patience while we worked to ensure it is safe to reopen. Our priority is always the safety of patients, staff and security personnel, and we are doing everything possible to restore services safely and sustainably,” said community services and health Mayco member Francine Higham.

One resident, who had been unaware of the closure, called on the community to stand up against criminal elements. 

“We are giving in to these criminals. We need to stand up and fight. I was not aware that we no longer have a clinic. I am not okay and came here hoping to be assisted, only to hear about the closure. This cannot be right,” he said.

Another resident said:  “We can go around blaming each other, but we all know the truth, and we are part of it. Some of these thugs are our own children. Why don’t we speak sense to them? The saddest part is that they are destroying their own development. We have seen projects being stopped. What have we done as residents? Nothing,” she said.

Anyone with information about the incident can anonymously contact Crime Stop on 0860010111 or use the MySAPS app. 

Additional reporting by Siyavuya Khaya