Mon séjour en Afrique du Sud (Cape Town)

Defence Minister Mosiuoa Lekota's heart attack has raised concerns about the capability of military hospitals to provide high-quality care for VIPs.

Lekota, who had a heart attack on Wednesday night, is being treated at the private Gatesville Medical Centre where his condition this morning is "stable".

Although it could not be confirmed, it appears that Lekota was taken to the Gatesville because it was the closest health facility.

But this is a major variation from the past when military hospitals, such as No 1 Military Hospital in Pretoria and No 2 Military Hospital in Wynberg, Cape Town, were the treatment centres of choice for government leaders. Not only were they equipped with the most well-trained staff, but they also provided first-class security of a high military standard.

Just a few weeks ago a parliamentary oversight visit to No 1 Military Hospital showed that it was falling apart at the seams.

Parliament's defence committee found in August that there were major cracks in the walls, holes in ceilings, and peeling paint. Also, ceilings and window panes were missing, bathrooms did not have taps and tiles, sleeping quarters did not have curtains, cupboards or chairs.

"This poor state of the facilities impacted negatively on morale and therefore the performance of the personnel (patients, staff and learners)," parliament's study reportedly found.

The defence committee's draft report said some of the maintenance backlog represented occupational health and safety risks "which are impediments to training, accommodation and the provisioning of proper medical care to patients in the case of No 1 Military Hospital".

The military hospitals are there to provide care not only for members of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) and their families, but also for the president and deputy president, former presidents, former deputy presidents and foreign dignitaries.

The parliamentary committee found the Pretoria military hospital had resorted to accommodating foreign students and visiting SANDF members in private guesthouses "to save the image of the SANDF".