By OBAKENG MAJE
23 April 2025- The North West Provincial Legislature’s Portfolio Committee on Health and Social Development said it welcomes and celebrates the official unveiling of the Desmond Tutu School of Medicine at the NWU. The committee said this is a milestone that marks the finale of over 20 years of visioning and planning.
The Chairperson of Committee, Karabo Magagane said the historic development not only honours the legacy of Nobel Laureate Archbishop Desmond Tutu, who was born in Klerksdorp in 1931, but also positions the province at the forefront of academic medicine, health innovation, and inclusive service delivery.
Magagane further said naming the school after Tutu is a fitting tribute to his enduring contributions to humanity and reflects the university’s commitment to social justice, human dignity, and nation-building.
“The Desmond Tutu School of Medicine will be anchored in the core pillars of NWU, teaching, learning, research, and community engagement. It will harness the strength of a growing network of hospitals and clinics across the province, with Klerksdorp/Tshepong Tertiary Hospital serving as a key clinical training site.
“Tshepong Hospital, which previously partnered with Wits University, has already set national benchmarks in health care innovation, including becoming the first institution in South Africa to cure Extreme Drug-Resistant Tuberculosis (XDR-TB) and successfully performing the first-ever pump cardiac bypass surgeries in its new catheterization laboratory last year,” she said.
Magagane added that they believe that the establishment of the medical school not only aligns with the transformative goals of the National Health Insurance (NHI) Act recently signed into law, but also strengthens the province’s health systems in preparation for universal health coverage. She said by equipping future health professionals through high-quality education and immersive clinical training, the School of Medicine will be instrumental in advancing accessible, equitable, and quality health care for all residents of the province.
“Furthermore, the committee sees this development as a catalyst for economic diversification in the City of Matlosana, which has been negatively affected by the decline of the mining sector.
“The growth of the health and academic research sectors offers promising new pathways for local economic revitalization, employment, and innovation. The committee remains committed to supporting initiatives that strengthen public health infrastructure, education, and service delivery, as part of its ongoing oversight work to uphold the values enshrined in the Constitution and the spirit of the NHI Act,” said Magagane.
She said Tutu so powerfully said: “My humanity is bound up in yours, for we can only be human together.”
The Guardian 