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500 signatures reached
To: Minister of Health, Aaron Motsoaledi
We demand strong community voices in health governance!
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We call on the Minister of Health to urgently adopt a national policy that recognises and protects the role of Clinic Committees in every clinic across South Africa.
Clinic Committees are made up of community members who help ensure that clinics work for the people they serve. They are meant to be a bridge between the clinic and the community, bringing forward concerns, suggestions, and helping solve problems.
Right now, many Clinic Committees are under-supported, under-resourced, and not taken seriously. There is no national policy outlining their powers, structure, or responsibilities — and this creates confusion and inequality across provinces.
We are asking the Minister of Health to adopt a clear, national policy that:
- Legally defines the roles, composition, election process, and powers of Clinic Committees
- Ensures that Clinic Committees are part of decision-making in health governance, including service delivery, budgets, and staff
- Provides financial and training support to help Committees do their work properly
- Makes Clinic Committees a formal part of health governance — from local clinics to national planning
- Prepares Clinic Committees to help respond to climate change, disasters, and other local health risks
We want every community to have a strong, active Clinic Committee — because everyone has the right to have a say in how their clinic is run.
We call on the Minister to take this first, important step toward health democracy. Adopt our Guidelines for a National Policy on Clinic Committees now.
Why is this important?
Every one of us relies on clinics — whether for ourselves, our children, our elders, or our neighbours. But too often, clinics don’t work the way they should. Patients wait for hours. Medicines are out of stock. Buildings are broken. Staff are overstretched. And communities are left out of the conversation. That’s where Clinic Committees come in.
Clinic Committees are made up of community members who volunteer their time to help improve clinic services, hold health authorities accountable, and make sure everyone’s voice is heard. They are supposed to be the bridge between the clinic and the community — but right now, many of them are being ignored, under-supported, or even shut out. There is no strong national policy that protects their rights or gives them the tools they need to do their work.
We know that when Clinic Committees are active and supported, clinics work better. Staff and patients talk more openly. Community health challenges are addressed faster. Real change happens from the ground up. That’s why we’re demanding that the Minister of Health adopt a clear national policy to define, support, and protect Clinic Committees across the country.
We’re building a people-powered campaign to show that Clinic Committees matter — and that communities demand a voice in how public health is run. If thousands of us sign and share this petition, the Minister will have to act. Add your name and help show that health governance belongs to all of us — not just a few behind closed doors.