Image Source: Wits University
Local – According to DA Gauteng Shadow Health MEC Jack Bloom, the Masakhane cook-freeze facility, which supplies thousands of plated hospital meal was shut down after inspectors uncovered severe contamination.
The sudden closure immediately halted lunchtime meal deliveries to Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Academic Hospital, triggering widespread food shortages for patients.
This forced families to step in as the hospital struggled to cope with the abrupt loss of its primary meal supplier.
Vulnerable patients, including elderly individuals, children and those without family support, were left without adequate nutrition, relying on limited ward-level provisions that fell below clinical standards.
Bloom said the shutdown followed an alarming discovery by municipal inspectors. He explained that the conditions at Masakhane made continued operation impossible and posed a direct risk to patient health.
“They found, can you believe it, E. coli… You know, this comes from faeces… Had the patients eaten this food from Masakhane, I mean, it would have poisoned them. Imagine being in a hospital, you’re already sick and vulnerable.”
The Crisis at Masakhane
The shutdown at Masakhane has highlighted longstanding weaknesses in Gauteng’s food procurement system.
Bloom said repeated supply disruptions and irregular contracting have affected hospitals for years, leaving facilities vulnerable when central systems fail.
He argued that the pattern of inconsistent suppliers and unreliable contracts reflects deeper governance issues within the provincial health department.
“I think frankly there’s corruption with the food contracts… they’re frequently disrupted.”
Bloom also questioned why Gauteng continues to rely on out-of-province suppliers when capable local providers exist. He said the current approach increases costs and risks while failing to deliver consistent service.
“Why are we getting food from other provinces instead of a decent, reliable supply from Gauteng?”
These recurring procurement failures, Bloom noted, are not isolated events but part of a broader pattern. He said the crisis at Masakhane mirrors irregularities seen in other major scandals within the health system.
“It reminds me of the Tembisa Hospital corruption… the food contract situation is completely unacceptable.”
Hospitals Scrambling for Food
The impact of Masakhane’s closure was felt immediately across Charlotte Maxeke.
Staff attempted to secure meals from Helen Joseph Hospital, but the quantities received were far below what was required to feed the hospital’s large patient population.
The limited supply left wards distributing minimal portions, failing to meet basic dietary needs for recovery.
Bloom said the shortages had left patients recovering from surgery, chronic illness and trauma without the nutrition necessary to support proper healing.
“All they could provide… was quite frankly a pathetic piece of bread with a little bit of margarine and cheese… really most unfortunate.”
