Residents of Ga-Rankuwa marched to Dr George Mukhari Academic Hospital and Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University to deliver a memorandum demanding that these state-owned institutions prioritise residents for employment opportunities.
The community accused the institutions of sidelining Ga-Rankuwa locals in favour of applicants from outside the area. They raised concerns about the growing number of unemployed, qualified young people in Ga-Rankuwa who have not benefited from job opportunities at these health facilities.
Residents claimed that individuals from outside the township, particularly from Limpopo, were being appointed to general labour positions, while locals remained jobless.
Community representative Bafana Maboe said the march was driven by the frustrations of unemployed youth in the area.
“The unemployed youth in our area are the ones who motivated me to stand up as a community leader,” said Maboe. “We are fed up with nepotism and corruption in our institutions. It’s time we stand together and fight for jobs for our people.”
Lesego Motsoko, a resident of Zone 6, raised these concerns. “We are tired of seeing people from Limpopo working at the hospital while we are sitting at home without jobs,” said Motsoko. “Enough is enough. We want decent jobs, not R800 stipends that can’t sustain us.”
The memorandum presented three key demands: A meeting with both institutions within three days, the inclusion of their preferred community committee members in all institution-related employment processes, Allocation of general labour posts to unemployed residents of Ga-Rankuwa.
“We will not back down until our demands are met,” a community member said. “If they ignore us, we will escalate our protest.”
Maboe reinforced this sentiment, warning of further action should the institutions fail to respond.
“After submitting the memorandum, we expect to see our youth employed. If our demands are ignored, we will shut down all roads in Ga-Rankuwa,” he said.
The memorandum was received by Julias Maputla, Stakeholder Manager for the Gauteng Department of Health. Maputla acknowledged the community’s concerns and requested more time to consult with other stakeholders.
“We are asking for at least seven days, not three, to engage with the other board members, as the decision is not ours alone,” said Maputla.
He added that job applications must be submitted through official online channels and that hand-delivered CVs are not accepted.
The community has remained firm in its demands, vowing to continue pressing for fair employment access at state health facilities located in Ga-Rankuwa.
