The North West MEC for Health, Sello Lehari, has officially unveiled the newly refurbished and expanded Marcus Zenzile Clinic during a prestigious ribbon-cutting ceremony in Khuma township, in the City of Matlosana Local Municipality on Tuesday, 20 October 2026.
Speaking to community members, traditional leaders, and healthcare practitioners, MEC Lehari highlighted that the upgraded medical facility marks a monumental milestone in the provincial government’s unwavering mission to bring dignified, top-tier healthcare directly to the doorsteps of rural and township communities.
The massive infrastructural project was executed in two distinct phases to ensure that local healthcare delivery remained entirely uninterrupted.
The Department initially established a fully operational temporary clinic before embarking on extensive structural additions and revamps to the main existing infrastructure.
While the original construction costs hovered around R34.061 million, necessary variations—including supplementary building modifications, advanced electrical works, mechanical alterations, and vital contract price adjustments—brought the definitive total project investment to R40.895 million.
“The original construction cost was approximately R34.061 million. The approved scope changes amounted to approximately R6.834 million, bringing the forecast total project cost to R40.895 million. The approved variations covered additional building and electrical works, contract price adjustments, and further mechanical and building-related changes.
“These adjustments were necessary to accommodate the additional requirements identified during implementation. The scope included improvements to the main clinic building, pharmacy, consulting and procedure rooms, counselling rooms, patient ablutions, storage facilities and supporting infrastructure,” said Lehari.
To smooth out localized challenges and maximize community inclusion during development, the department integrated a permanent social facilitator and established a dedicated Project Steering Committee, a move that successfully created employment for 58 local residents and provided specialized construction training for 20 local workers.
The state-of-the-art facility boasts an expansive layout designed to radically improve the patient experience and uplift staff working conditions.
It features a modernized pharmacy, advanced consulting and procedure rooms, specialized counseling spaces, and dignified patient ablution facilities. Catering specifically to long-term health management, the clinic contains covered waiting areas tailored for patients utilizing chronic care services.
Furthermore, the infrastructure integrates dedicated mother-and-child healthcare wings, comprehensive staff administrative facilities, and a specialized operational room for community outreach workers.
The Marcus Zenzile Clinic is geared to operate as a robust hub for a wide range of primary healthcare services. Locals can now access general medical consultations, diagnostic services, routine childhood immunisation, and holistic family planning.
The clinic is also fully equipped to provide comprehensive maternal and infant health tracking, chronic disease management for conditions like diabetes and hypertension, and full-scale HIV/AIDS counselling, testing, and antiretroviral treatment support.
A highly structured community outreach program will also run from the facility, utilizing healthcare personnel to bridge the gap between individual households and the clinic.
Delivering his keynote message, MEC Lehari stressed that the true value of the R40-million asset would not be measured by its physical brick-and-mortar structures, but by the empathy, professionalism, and quality of care dispensed within its walls.
He issued a stern call to action for clinic management and nursing staff to uphold the highest standards of compassion, accountability, and respect. Concurrently, the MEC urged the Khuma community to take absolute ownership of the public investment by guarding the infrastructure against vandalism, honoring their medical appointments, and treating healthcare workers with the utmost dignity.
