KZN Health MEC Calls Condemns Hospital Staff for Cooking Food Outside During Power Outage

• The MEC for Health in KwaZulu-Natal, Nomagugu Simelane, called for disciplinary action against staff members of the Northdale Hospital
• This was after a video of them cooking outside of the hospital during a power outage went viral
• She said the staff members violated safety regulations, and some South Africans defended them, praising them for taking initiative

Tebogo Mokwena, a dedicated Briefly News current affairs journalist, contributed coverage of international and local social issues like health, corruption, education, unemployment, labour, service delivery protests and immigration in South Africa during his seven years at Daily Sun and Vutivi Business News.

PIETERMARITZBURG, KWAZULU-NATAL — KwaZulu-Natal's MEC for Health Nomagugu Simelane has called for disciplinary action to be taken against staff members of the Northdale Hospital in Pietermaritzburg who cooked patients' food outside the hospital during a power cut.

What happened in Northdale Hospital?

X user Siyabonga Majola (Zwide) posted a video on his @sbngmjl account. The video is recorded by an angry member of the public. It shows staff members cooking food on braai stands using firewood. The video shows staff members standing around the various braai stands which have pots on them. The narrator angrily blasts them for cooking outside. He says the staff members should not cook such little food for patients of one ward outside of the hospital.

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View the X video here:

What did the KZN Health MEC say?

Simelane said the area was hit by an electricity outage. Three backup generators immediately activated and one malfunctions. The kitchen was part of the sections in the hospital affected by the generator's malfunction. She noted that the protocol was for hospital staff to seek assistance from nearby hospitals. She added that cooking food outside with firewood violated food safety and contingency protocols.

Tembisa Hospital's Accident and Emergency Unit was temporarily closed after a fire spread through it on 19 April 2025. No injuries and fatalities were recorded, and the department of health in Gauteng launched an investigation.

A second fire broke out at the hospital's outpatients department days after the first fire. Patients from the hospital were sent to Zamokuhle Private Hospital for medical assistance.

What did South Africans say?

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Netizens commenting on TimesLIVE's X account shared their views. Many who commented were not convinced that what the staff members did was wrong.

Ayanda Sakhile Zulu said:

"Committed public servants who went above and beyond to ensure that patients were fed, even during a power outage."

Cllr_Welekazi asked:

"What did they do wrong?"

Michael said:

"The staff should be praised for going above and beyond the call of duty."

Groot Afrikaner asked:

"Why take action? At least they did something. Did you expect the patients to starve?"

Meikitoarichimoto said:

"This lady is pathetic. Most hospitals in KZN area joke because of the incompetence of her department. This is the one time we see people working for government going the extra mile for patients and she says they are in the wrong."

Mpumalanga hospital nurses under fire after patient dies

In a related article, Briefly News reported that the Democratic Alliance called on the Health Professionals Council of South Africa (HPCSA) to probe an assault incident at Tonga Hospital in Mpumalanga in March 2025. A patient was allegedly assaulted by a nurse.

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The patient was admitted to the hospital for hypertension and her diabetic foot. She died, and the DA called for their actions to be investigated.

Source: Briefly News