Tembisa Hospital Accident and Emergency Unit Closed After Fire, Netizens Suspect Foul Play
- Tembisa Hospital's Accident and Emergency Unit was close down after a fire broke out at the health facility
- About 79 patients were evacuated to another section of the hospital and the cause of the fire is still under investigation
- South Africans suspect that the maladministration and corruption at the hospital could be behind the fire
For seven years, Tebogo Mokwena, a Briefly News journalist in Johannesburg, South Africa, covered accidents, fires, outbreaks, nature, weather and natural disaster-related incidents at Daily Sun and Vutivi Business News.
Source: Getty Images
TEMBISA, EKURHULENI — The Gauteng Department of Health said the cause of the fire that gutted Tembisa Hospital's Accident and Emergency Unit on 19 April 2025 is unknown. The unit has been closed down, but South Africans suspect foul play was involved in the fire.
What happened at Tembisa Hospital?
A fire broke out at the hospital's unit, and about 79 patients had to be evacuated. The hospital stopped taking in new patients while the fire was swiftly contained. The department has urged those seeking medical help to go to other health facilities in the area.
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The Head of Department, Lesiba Malotana, said the other parts of the hospital are operational and functional, and no casualties have been reported. The Health MEC Nomantu Nkomo-Ralehoko is expected to visit the hospital on 20 April.
Tembisa's corruption and maladministration
South Africans on social media speculated that the fire could be linked to the hospital's history of maladministration and corruption. There is no evidence to substantiate this claim. However, whistle-blower Babita Deokaran was assassinated in 2021 after she exposed irregular payments in the hospital to the value of R850 million in suspicious transactions.
News24 reported in 2022 that the Special Investigating Unit's investigation confirmed the allegations of maladministration and possible fraud at the hospital. The SIU uncovered payments worth over R1 billion to businesspeople who were trading irregularly with the hospital. To date, nobody has been arrested for the hospital's maladministration.
Source: Getty Images
What you need to know about Tembisa hospital
- In August 2022, the Democratic Alliance in Gauteng called for the then Health-MEC Nomathemba Mokgethi to respond to the allegations of corruption at the hospital
- Four months later, in December, the Hawks conducted a search-and-seizure operation at the hospital related to the irregular contract worth R850 million
- Ashley Mthunzi, the hospital's CEO who was suspended in 2022 following allegations involving the hospital's corruption, died in 2024 after a short illness
South Africans suspect foul play
Netizens commenting on @mbalis_bakery's X tweet suspected that the fire was not an accident. Mbali posted a video showing the section of the hospital go up in flames.
Lerato said:
"There's a lot of corruption in this country so it wouldn't be shocking."
Sani said:
"Contractors are doing whatever they can just to milk the cow."
Economic Freedom in our lifetime said:
"Comrades are creating a tender for themselves."
Tshephza De Taurain said:
"That hospital is surrounded by too much drama."
Checkmate2010 said:
"Destroying evidence."
National District Hospital fire guts 2 floors in Bloemfontein
In a related article, Briefly News reported that more than 80 patients were evacuated from the National District Hospital in Bloemfontein in August 2024. This was after a fire took out two floors of the hospital.
A cigarette bud reportedly caused the fie, and no injuries were reported. About 23 of the patients were transferred to the nearby Botshabelo District Hospital.
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Source: Briefly News
