Parliamant – Almost a year after 10 new ambulances were donated to the Northern Cape’s Kuruman Hospital, five of them have yet to hit the road, according to Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi.

In a written reply to a parliamentary question on Friday, he pinned the blame for this on paperwork.

“(The) trust (that donated the ambulances) did not provide the necessary documentation required to register the vehicles as ambulances, and this delayed the registration,” Motsoaledi said.

The question was posed by Congress of the People MP Paul Mnguni, who wanted to know if the minister had been informed “that 10 brand new ambulances donated to the (hospital) by the John Taolo Gaetsewe Developmental Trust last December are still standing unused at the back of the hospital”.

Motsoaledi said he knew about the vehicles.

“The department had to start the process of registration and five of the ambulances have been registered and operational.

“The other five were incorrectly registered and this error is being rectified,” he said.

The John Taolo Gaetsewe Developmental Trust is located in the Northern Cape municipal district of the same name. Kuruman is the administrative centre.

According to its website, the trust aims to carry out “public benefit activities in a non-profit manner and with an altruistic or philanthropic intent”.

Sapa