South Africa

The government spent R2.84 billion to replace a 90-year-old hospital that is not finished 9 years later

Shaun Jacobs • 20 September 2026

Construction on the New Mapulaneng Regional Hospital has halted after the contractor for Phase 3A of the project was liquidated.

This leaves the project at 78% completion nearly a decade after it was first announced, having missed its original July 2026 deadline.

The New Mapulaneng Regional Hospital was announced by the Mpumalanga Provincial Government and Health Department in March 2017.

This project, a 365-bed hospital, was set to replace the original Masana Hospital, which was built in 1936 and later renamed to Mapulaneng Hospital.

The new hospital is intended to serve as a high-capacity regional referral facility for surrounding primary healthcare clinics and community health centres.

The old facility was deemed dilapidated and unable to serve the needs of the surrounding communities, despite its 252-bed capacity.

The old Mapulaneng Hospital lacked specialised wards, such as an emergency medical services hub, isolation wards, surgical or orthopaedic wards, and a tuberculosis ward.

In the 2010s, the facility became the scene of extreme overcrowding and severe infrastructural decay after nine decades of continuous use.

Oversight visits from parliamentary committees reported that parts of the old structure were likely to collapse without significant investment.

They also found that the hospital routinely suffered from electricity and water outages. It also had broken steam boilers intended for sterilisation.

These disruptions compromised hygiene and infection control, with staff and parents having to carry water in buckets to operating theatres in some cases.

Instead of repairing the old structure, it was determined that it would be more cost-effective to build a new, modern hospital in its place.

The New Mapulaneng Regional Hospital was designed to replace the ageing structure with a modern facility capable of meeting the rising healthcare demand among Bushbuckridge residents.

It was also designed to enable modern medical care, with dedicated CT scanners, upgraded emergency bays, and advanced surgical theatres.

Missed deadlines

In a response to parliamentary questions, Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi revealed that the new hospital is not yet fully operational.

“The delay in the full completion of the New Mapulaneng Regional Hospital is primarily attributable to the liquidation process of the contractor on Phase 3A,” Motsoaledi said.

Phase 3A includes the construction of hospital wards, theatres, a radiology department, the main entrance, and a support building.

Motsoaledi also bemoaned the impact of ongoing disruptions from community-led protest action. This has resulted in the construction site being closed, with no access given to contractors.

The site closure delayed the completion of Phases 3A and 3C, which include staff housing, a gymnasium, stormwater services, and carports, among other bulk infrastructure.

Originally set for completion in July 2026, the hospital is currently at 78% completion, and Motsoaledi did not indicate when it will be finished.

This is not the first delay or disruption at the New Mapulaneng Regional Hospital, as all phases have missed their initial target dates.

Phase 3A began in July 2021 and was set to be completed in July 2026. It is still not finished, with a revised completion date still to be determined.

Construction began on Phase 3B in July 2020, with the original deadline set for 30 June 2025. This was revised to January 2026, which was met.

Phase 3C commenced in July 2020 and was also scheduled for completion in June 2025. This phase is incomplete.

Motsoaledi revealed that the project has cost the department R2.84 billion, excluding the impact of delays and outstanding work.

These delays and the incomplete sections of the hospital will cost at least R187 million. The minister could not provide a figure for the completion of Phase 3A before a new contractor was found.

Motsoaledi said that no consequence management measures have been taken against the project team or the contractors.

“A revised operationalisation date cannot yet be confirmed until the appointment of a new contractor for Phase 3A,” the minister said.

“A realistic project practical completion date will be determined following the approval of the revised construction programme, completion of outstanding Phase 3C works, commissioning of infrastructure and commissioning of medical equipment.”