Police officers and hospital security had to forcibly remove a gang of nine men who refused to leave after barging into Potchefstroom Mediclinic last week, demanding procurement supply contracts and verbally abusing and then threatening staff, reports TimesLIVE.
The North West High Court (Mahikeng) has now granted an urgent interdict barring four of the men from the premises.
As they left, one of them had issued a serious threat to doctor relations manager Amanda Gomes: “You don’t stay here – we’ll find you in the streets.”
Bullying
The group had arrived uninvited at the hospital manager’s office early that morning – and demanded, among other things, that Gomes address them in Setswana. When she said she did not speak the language, one asked: “Who the fuck do you think you are?”
This emerged from affidavits submitted by hospital staff to the High Court in support of an urgent interdict against the group.
According to court documents, last Tuesday’s visit was not the their first. Five of them had arrived uninvited at the end of September to discuss supply contracts, and were “aggressive and confrontational” throughout their visit.
Hospital manager Danie Scholtz had explained that contracts were not awarded at hospital level and invited them to send him their company profiles. They said they would return in two weeks.
The next day, one of them, Stephen Sebela, had emailed Scholtz saying they would forward a list of companies so he could meet with contractors to identify opportunities for local small businesses to work as subcontractors. They wanted to meet again on 9 October “to determine a way forward”.
On 20 October, Scholtz received another email: “It has been a while since we last heard from you or your subordinates. It appears this is a matter your institution does not take as seriously as it should. We request a follow-up meeting with you, a contracts manager and the operations manager to finalise this matter. We have been patient enough, and I trust you will provide feedback soon.”
Scholtz again pointed out that contracts were not awarded at hospital level, to which Sebela replied: “It appears we do not understand each other”, and “I will share your feedback with the group”.
After the men’s visit last Tuesday, they complained in an email that Scholtz’s staff had been hostile towards them.
“We are not extortionists. We are looking for work and opportunities… We note that you have decided to close your gates. We will inform the police that no contractor may enter your premises until this matter has been resolved.”
Mediclinic argued in its court application that the men had unlawfully attempted to interfere with hospital management and had entered the premises illegally.
The judge granted the interdict and ordered police to intervene where necessary should the men breach its terms.
See more from MedicalBrief archives:
Unions combine to hobble North West Health over corruption
Buthelezi EMS contracts in North West and Free State to be investigated
Alleged ‘bid-rigger’ scores millions in Gauteng Health contracts