Gavin Du Venage
THE Eastern Cape may lose another provincial minister after Health=20 Minister Dr Gertrude Thomas came under attack from within her own=20 party, the ANC, over the poor performance of her ministry. If she goes, Thomas will be the third Eastern Cape cabinet member to lose=
her job since the establishment of the administration. Two previous=20 ministers, Neela Hoesain and Dr Maliza Mphehle, were also fired after=20 pressure from the ANC caucus. Thomas is being blamed for the poor control of the state school feeding=20 scheme which has collapsed in the Eastern Cape after rampant fraud=20 resulted in almost R5-million going missing. Thomas is also under attack from health care workers for the rapidly=20 declining state of provincial hospitals. A report tabled in the Eastern Cap=
parliament last week revealed the abysmal conditions in the region=D5s=20 hospitals, and a relationship between Thomas and provincial doctors that=20 has deteriorated to the point of hostility. In the report, doctors claim costly X-rays and blood tests must often be=20 repeated because the originals get lost. Doctors also fear for their safety=
and claim they are frequently attacked while at work. Hospitals are forced to accept an increasing number of patients from the=20 former Transkei, where health services have all but collapsed. In spite of=
the pressure on overloaded hospitals, up to 40 percent of patients being=20 treated are TB sufferers who could easily be treated in clinics. However,=
clinics in the region provide only the most rudimentary care. In some=20 instances, clinics are abandoned because of a lack of staff. Thomas has angered her own party as well as opposition by steadfastly=20 refusing to acknowledge the crisis. Her handling of the problem has embarrassed the government of Premier=20 Raymond Mhlaba and led to calls from within the ANC for her=20
At last week=D5s debate on the report, not one ANC MP rose to her defence.=
Thomas=D5 threat to replace local doctors who refused to co-operate with he=
with Cubans was condemned by ANC MPs as well as the opposition. Mhlaba is himself under pressure to clean up the province=D5s administratio=
or resign.=20 There are indications that senior ANC officials believe Mhlaba can=D5t=20 handle the crisis. Earlier this week a special committee was established to=
look into the crisis, reportedly on the orders of President Nelson Mandela. The committee will comprise national ANC figures with Mhlaba as the=20 lone provincial representative. Sports Minister Steve Tshwete, Deputy=20 Environmental Affairs Minister Bantu Holomisa and Public Enterprises=20 Minister Stella Sigcau will sit on the committee. Senate chairman Govan=20 Mbeki will also participate. Although it is unlikely Mhlaba will lose his post any time soon, Thomas=20 may be forced to go in an effort to appease the provincial government=D5s=
Last week provincial Agriculture Minister Tertius Delport appealed to=20 Mhlaba to =D2ignore the advice=D3 of his top aids who, he said, were leadin=
the premier deeper into the crisis.