Author: Njih Favour
A survivor of gender-based violence has developed an online emergency reporting platform aimed at cutting response times for victims of crime and medical emergencies, particularly in rural communities where access to help remains uneven and delays can be deadly. Mapula Mailula (29), from Ga-Maja village outside Polokwane, launched the Crime Emergency Application (CEA) in December 2025. The web-based platform allows users to report incidents or request emergency assistance with the tap of a button, while automatically sharing their real-time location with responders. Users don’t need to write an incident report on the platform. Subscribe to our newsletter Mailula says the…
Community health workers (CHWs) play a crucial role in delivering essential healthcare services to communities across South Africa. Yet, a year after the Labour Court ruled that CHWs should be deemed permanent employees, their employment status remains precarious. Some health districts in various provinces have begun to absorb them into formal employment, but many CHWs are still contracted employees who earn stipends rather than salaries. One such worker is Lucky Mthombeni from Allanridge in the Free State. Growing up, Mthombeni became increasingly aware of the poor health outcomes in his community. He saw people struggling with preventable diseases, which deeply troubled…
This project is funded by: Residents of Seweding village in Mahikeng say they have been facing persistent sewage spills for months. Frustrated residents say they feel helpless as raw sewage repeatedly floods their streets and front yards, creating unsanitary living conditions. The situation gets worse whenever it rains as raw sewage mixes with stormwater. “It’s disgusting. We can’t even allow our children to play outside, and the smell is unbearable,” says resident Thandiwe Mokoena. “We’ve reported this to the municipality many times, but nothing seems to change.” Residents also fear long-term environmental damage and declining property value. “We need immediate…
When complex treatment guidelines are updated, it often takes time for healthcare workers to familarise themselves with the changes. (Photo: Shutterstock) News & Features 22nd January 2026 | Sue Segar As HIV, TB and other treatments are updated in our public healthcare system, it is critical that healthcare workers and counsellors stay on top of the latest developments. One innovative programme makes use of short lessons delivered over WhatsApp to provide such training. Over her years working as an information pharmacist at the University of Cape Town’s Medicines Information Centre (MIC), Briony Chisholm noted that many health workers in rural…
This project is funded by: Several government schools in Soshanguve, north of Pretoria, have become breeding grounds for health hazards, due to delayed waste collection and illegal dumping. During a recent visit to Soshanguve Block R, Health-e News saw waste dumped at three separate schools. The situation is putting learners at risk, compromising their health and safety. Residents in Block R Soshanguve, next to Nchuncheko Primary School, which is the worst affected, are sick and tired of the illegal dumping and are pleading with the city to intervene. “The biggest worry is that rubbish has piled up on the road,…
Maggie Setagane (L) helped Evidence Ramuswana (R) deliver her baby at home. (Photo: Thembi Siaga) A woman in Mbaula village, outside Giyani in Limpopo, safely gave birth with the help of a community health worker after floods cut the village off from healthcare services. Heavy rainfall on 14 January caused rivers to overflow, submerging roads and isolating the village. Mbaula and neighbouring Phalakubeni continue to struggle to access healthcare. Subscribe to our newsletter On 15 January Evidence Ramuswana went into labour. With roads flooded and no taxis or ambulances able to reach them, Ramuswana turned to Maggie Setagane, a community…
In Bushbuckridge, Mpumalanga, floods have destroyed bridges connecting remote villages, leaving residents without safe access to clinics. Godfrey Makhubele (40), from Tlhavekisa village, has hypertension and regularly collects his medication from Hluvukani Community Health Centre (CHC). On 12 January, he had an appointment to collect his medication, but floodwaters cut off access routes. “My appointment was at 7am, but the rain and rising water made it impossible to travel,” Makhubele says. “Around 11am I decided to attempt the journey. I had to wade through two rivers where the floodwaters rose above my knees. I could see that the crossing was…
Around 70 people, including the elderly and babies, have sought temporary shelter in a local church in Mbaula Village near Giyani in Limpopo after their homes were damaged by heavy rains last week. Parts of Limpopo, Mpumalanga, KwaZulu-Natal, Eastern Cape and the North West have been battered by severe storms, which led to widespread flooding. The government declared a national disaster over the weekend following the president’s visit to Limpopo. Limpopo provincial spokesperson, Ndavhe Ramakuela, explains that the government has activated its Disaster Management Committee that “coordinates work for rescue, relief and rebuilding”. “This includes coordinating the daily relief packages…
Whenever rain clouds gather over her village, Ntombenhle Ndlovu finds herself checking the weather forecast again and again, bracing for what might come next. When the rain finally starts, she steps outside to feel the first droplets on her skin, measuring their intensity before she can breathe a little easier. Ntombenhle Ndlovu is coping with the aftermath of floods in KZN in 2022. (Photo: Supplied) “It has become a natural instinct. If I don’t do this, I get very anxious until the rain stops.” The mother of two and community activist from Embo, a village south-east of Durban, was not…
With several important developments on the horizon, 2026 is set to be another eventful year in healthcare. (Photo: Shutterstock) Comment & Analysis 19th January 2026 | Marcus Low From the limited rollout of a new HIV prevention jab to developments with new weight loss medicines, to high-stakes court cases relating to National Health Insurance (NHI), 2026 is set to be another tumultuous year in healthcare. Here are nine stories that Spotlight will keep a close eye on. 1. How will things go with the local rollout of a new HIV prevention jab? Given the high rates of HIV in South Africa, the biggest HIV story this year is likely to be the rollout of…