South Africa: Nehawu Strike Continues to Hit Hard With Widespread Reports of Deaths and Suffering

7 March 2023
Daily Maverick (Johannesburg)
analysis By Takudzwa Pongweni, Estelle Ellis, Mark Heywood, Naledi Sikhakhane and Rudzani Tshivhase

Day two of the interdicted Nehawu strike continued to rumble and burn on Tuesday, leaving dead bodies, exhausted workers and hungry and untreated patients in its wake.

Maverick Citizen has been contacted by doctors, nurses, patients and health workers across the country. Below, we attempt to document their experiences and concerns which continued to flood in throughout the day.

North West

Police clear burning tyres at Tshepong Hospital in Klerksdorp on 7 March 2023 as Nehawu members picket outside the hospital. (Photo: Felix Dlangamandla)

Tshepong Hospital in Klerksdorp has been hard hit.

"Our nursing services manager was up until 1.30am. She was actually laying out four corpses," said an exhausted health worker.

"We will investigate if the deaths are linked to the strike action... they were simply found dead in their beds and suffice to say that yesterday (Monday) no patient received any medication, or IV fluids or anything."

North West health department spokesperson Tebogo Lekgethwane confirmed that Tshepong was hardest hit. "That is where most of the protests and blockages were."

A few nurses attend to...

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