Pretoria’s Zama Zama clinic gets new lease of life and dignity after neglect

For years, patients at the Zama Zama Clinic in Pretoria West had to brave rain, mud and dust while waiting to see a healthcare professional. Inside, cracked floors, ageing infrastructure, overcrowded consultation rooms and poor sanitation had made the small clinic difficult for both patients and healthcare workers.

The clinic now looks very different after the University of Pretoria (UP), in partnership with the non-governmental New Schools of H.O.P.E. organisation, and their commercial sponsors, celebrated the reopening of the renovated facility on Tuesday.

The clinic, which opened in 2016, started as a modest 12-metre-long shipping container adapted by New Schools of H.O.P.E. to provide basic healthcare services.

As the Zama Zama informal settlement grew, the facility could no longer cope with the number of people needing care. Patients were left waiting outside while the structure deteriorated.

Alida Fourie, founder of New Schools of H.O.P.E., said the conditions at the clinic were the catalyst for the renovation.

“We saw patients waiting outside in the rain, in the mud. We saw dust, and we unfortunately saw neglect, an environment that did not reflect the value of the people it was supposed to serve,” she said.

Fourie said the project was not simply about improving the building but about restoring dignity to the people who use it.

“The project was never about the bricks, the paint or the building. It has always been about restoring dignity, creating a place where healthcare professionals can work with pride, and ensuring that every patient is welcomed with compassion, respect and hope,” she said.

The renovated clinic now has larger waiting and consultation areas, improved medicine storage, running water, proper sanitation facilities, a staff kitchenette and artwork.

Prof Flavia Senkubuge, dean of UP’s faculty of health sciences, said the project showed what could be achieved through collaboration.

It is not only about having a healthcare facility here, but about creating a space that is beautiful, welcoming and dignified

“What excites me most is that, as a faculty, we have the opportunity to collaborate on such a meaningful project,” she said. “These underserved communities represent some of the most vulnerable members of our society, and this clinic is truly special.”

Senkubuge said a healthcare facility should not only provide medical services, but should also make patients feel valued.

“It is not only about having a healthcare facility here, but about creating a space that is beautiful, welcoming and dignified,” she said.