Mitchells Plain residents on Tuesday gathered outside Eastridge Clinic to protest against the alleged permanent closure of two City of Cape Town health facilities.
On 6 January, the Daily Voice reported on information leaked by City of Cape Town officials, of secret plans to shut down the health centres.
The City confirmed to the Daily Voice that a “process was under way” to close Eastridge Clinic and Rocklands Clinic in June this year.
Councillor Patricia van der Ross, Mayoral Committee Member for Community Service and Health, said: “A consultative process is under way on how best to consolidate health services in the interest of the communities.
“This is being done in consultation with the Western Cape Health Department.
“This process to re-evaluate the services is ongoing, and no final timelines have been decided.”
But residents say they cannot afford to travel to other areas if these facilities close down.
Roseline Kleynhans, a mother of three kids aged 10 months old, five and eight, was one of 40 protesters who are begging the City to keep the clinic operating.
She says instead of shutting it down, the City should improve the services.
“I don’t work, how am I going to have travelling fees?
“I have two kids and a baby who need this clinic because they are sick.
“Sometimes they help two or three people per day here and we stand in long lines to be seen.
“Some days they give you a number for the next day to attend.
“Please City, open your hearts and think of our children. We really need this.”
GOOD party activist Youmna Mohammed has so far gathered 270 signatures on a petition as part of the party’s silent protest outside the clinic.
“We depend on this facility... we have been protesting here for three days silently to raise awareness about the closure.”
Rashida Arendse, who’s been operating a food stalletjie outside the clinic for more than 20 years, says she will lose her business if the health centre shuts.
“If the patients and staff don’t support my stall then I won’t have any business.”
The City did not respond to queries about the protest or how far their processes have come so far.