Note to Editors: Please find attached English and Sesotho soundbites by Cllr Kabelo Moreeng.
The Democratic Alliance (DA) in Mangaung will submit an urgent intervention plan to the Free State Department of Health and the MEC for Health to restore emergency medical services in Thaba Nchu.
Thaba Nchu is currently served by only one operational ambulance for its entire population. This is an immediate and unacceptable risk to life and emergency healthcare access.
This crisis reflects a systemic failure in emergency medical services that must be addressed without delay. Oversight bodies have repeatedly warned that the Free State requires urgent prioritisation of ambulance procurement, repairs, and staffing to prevent avoidable deaths.
National reports confirm that South Africa faces a chronic ambulance shortage and a parallel paramedic crisis, both of which undermine timely emergency care across provinces.
The DA demands:
- Redeployment of ambulances and paramedics from nearby districts to guarantee a 24/7 emergency response in Thaba Nchu.
- Emergency repairs to grounded vehicles must be completed within 7 days, with written timelines submitted to the council.
- Transparent public dashboard showing ambulance availability, response times, and maintenance status, updated weekly.
- An emergency task team, chaired by the MEC for Health, with municipal oversight, will deliver a remedial plan within 14 days.
- Accelerated procurement or leasing of at least two additional ambulances for immediate service while long-term fleet plans are finalised.
- Weekly public scorecard on progress against the remedial plan, published jointly by the municipality and provincial health department.
- Forensic audit of fleet management, maintenance contracts, and overtime payments to EMS staff within 30 days.
- Sanctions and corrective action are applied when negligence, procurement failure, or misallocation of resources is identified.
Every minute of delay costs lives. Families in Thaba Nchu and Northern and Southern Trusts are being forced to wait longer for lifesaving care because of systemic neglect and poor resource management. This is not just a logistical failure; it is a public health emergency that demands immediate political and operational action.
We call on the Free State Department of Health, the MEC for Health, district emergency services, and the municipal manager to implement the above demands without delay and to brief council and the public within seven days.