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I am horrified that there was another fire at the Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Hospital last night.

From reports sent to me it appears to have been outside the main building but affected a parking lot.

Smoke can be seen in the parking lot under the hospital in videos that have been circulating.

The fire was fortunately put out by the fire services.

It is unbelievable that another fire could start at this hospital which spends R40 million a year on security.

A full investigation is needed, and sabotage should definitely be suspected.

And yet we still do not have a report on the devastating fire at the hospital in April last year that started in a store room. Many staff members think that this was deliberately done to cover up the evidence of corruption.

This is the fourth fire at a Gauteng public hospital this year.

There was a fire at temporary structures of the Steve Biko Hospital on 30 May this year, and there was a blaze in a linen closet in a medical ward there on 12 June.

Two weeks ago, a fire occurred at the Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital near the Covid-19 tents, and it spread to the laundry site before being put out.

In the last 7 years there have been 9 fires in Gauteng hospitals, as well as the unexplained fire at the Gauteng Health head office which burnt down the Bank of Lisbon building and killed three fire fighters.

We need answers from the Gauteng Health Department as to why there are so many fires and what is being done to prevent them.

The non-release of fire investigation reports looks more and more like a cover-up, and the DA will continue to press for them to be made public.

Issued by Jack Bloom MPL - DA Gauteng Shadow MEC for Health