17/04/2026
KZN HEALTH MEC NOMAGUGU SIMELANE CALLS FOR RESTORATION OF ORDER AND TRUST IN PUBLIC HEALTHCARE – AS THREE-DAY STRATEGIC SESSION CONTINUES
ETHEKWINI: As the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Health enters the second day of its three-day strategic planning session, MEC for Health, Nomagugu Simelane, has reiterated a stern and uncompromising message to all managers: manage, do not abdicate.
Opening the session yesterday, Simelane left no stone unturned, throwing down the gauntlet to every official responsible for different functions within the department. “The message was clear,” she said. “Managers need to manage. This sacrosanct engagement must ensure that from today going forward, we all fight to turn things around. It starts with us.”
In her address, Simelane emphasised that public healthcare must never be viewed as a last resort, but rather as a trusted and reliable choice.
“It is in your hands. The way you conduct yourselves will determine whether we restore the trust of our most important stakeholders: our patients and the public,” said Simelane.
She underscored that public health facilities must embody healing, care and dignity; environments where patients feel safe, and families are reassured that their loved ones are receiving quality care.
“There are many clinics and hospitals that already reflect these values. However, the question we must confront is: how do we ensure that most of our facilities become synonymous with hope, healing and quality treatment? We all share the responsibility of restoring the good name of our healthcare system,” she said.
Simelane added that every level of the system contributes to public perception. “Every interaction with a patient, every decision taken at Head Office, and every process we manage shapes how the public experiences and perceives our services.”
She stressed that restoring order, trust and pride requires decisive action where standards have declined. “We must correct what is failing and protect what is working. Let us build a system that people trust, a system they are proud of. No one should feel ashamed to walk through our doors, nor should anyone expect to leave in a worse condition than when they arrived.”
The MEC further acknowledged deeply concerning public perceptions, including sentiments expressed on social media where some facilities are described as places “bayazi ukuthi akubuywa kuleso sibhedlela” implying a place one does not return from.
“Colleagues, this is deeply troubling, and it must concern us all. We all have a responsibility to preserve the image and reputation of the Department and our facilities. We need to dispel these notions by doing better and changing the trajectory of this negative image,” she said.
Day One Highlights: A full plate
Yesterday’s opening session was described as “mouth full,” covering:
· Organisational and service delivery assessment and renewal
· Department performance analysis and reporting
· The approved post list extensively dealt with
· A presentation by the Western Cape on Cost Centre Management
· Hospital management strategy and service delivery
· Clinical governance
· Primary Health Care (PHC) transformation
· Medico-legal litigation, focusing on processes and guidelines
· Organisational structure for the Mdeco Legal Unit was also reviewed
· A comprehensive financial diagnosis of KZN Health, which was followed by robust engagement and discussions
Day Two (Today, 17 April 2026)
Today’s proceedings will focus on observations from the department’s audit process, after which delegates will break away into different commissions for deeper sector-specific deliberations.
Simelane concluded that restoring order and trust is not optional; it is the core mandate of every manager. “From now going forward, we fight to turn things around. It starts with us.”
ENDS
ISSUED BY THE KWAZULU-NATAL DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH
