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Thousands of residents in underserved Buffalo City communities will receive free healthcare and social support services when the SA Military Health Service rolls out its annual Project Owethu outreach programme across the metro from July 20 to 31.
The initiative, implemented in partnership with the Buffalo City Metro (BCM), Eastern Cape government and other stakeholders, will take government services directly to communities in Tsholomnqa, Tshabo, Dimbaza, Dubu and Mdantsane, where access to healthcare remains limited.
Residents will have access to general medical consultations, treatment for acute and chronic illnesses, women’s and children’s healthcare, oral health services, mental health and psychosocial support, rehabilitation services, nutrition advice, pharmaceutical services, health promotion, welfare services and youth development programmes.
A key feature of this year’s programme will be ophthalmology services, including cataract operations aimed at restoring sight and reducing surgical backlogs at selected district hospitals.
Project Owethu forms part of the SA National Defence Force’s (SANDF) efforts to improve access to integrated healthcare and social services in vulnerable communities.
Project Owethu is about people first. It recognises that many communities continue to face challenges in accessing essential government services, whether it’s healthcare, social support or opportunities for young people
— Col (Dr) Luzuko Orlyn Matolweni, of the military health service
Col (Dr) Luzuko Orlyn Matolweni, of the military health service, said the programme recognised that many South Africans continued to face barriers to accessing essential government services.
“Project Owethu is about people first.
“It recognises that many communities continue to face challenges in accessing essential government services, whether it’s healthcare, social support or opportunities for young people,” Matolweni said.
He said the programme was built around three pillars — primary healthcare, social welfare and youth development — bringing together multiple government departments and community partners to provide services at one location.
The military health service will deploy multidisciplinary teams of doctors, nurses, oral health practitioners and mental health professionals, while also providing operational planning and logistical support.
The programme is being implemented in partnership with the Eastern Cape departments of health and social development, the SA Police Service, department of home affairs, traditional leadership structures, humanitarian organisation Gift of the Givers, local municipalities and community organisations.
“We are proud to be one of several partners supporting Project Owethu.
“Every stakeholder brings unique expertise and resources, allowing us to provide integrated services that no single organisation could deliver on its own,” Matolweni said.
Gift of the Givers will provide operational tents, food parcels, blankets and other humanitarian relief items during the outreach.
BCM spokesperson Luzuko Buku said the municipality hoped the programme would improve access to essential services for residents who often struggled to reach healthcare facilities.
“Instead of residents facing transport costs, integrated primary healthcare, psychosocial support and social protection services are being delivered directly into the heart of our neighbourhoods,” Buku said.
He said the initiative would complement, rather than replace, existing services provided by the provincial departments of health and social development.
“By combining the specialised, multidisciplinary medical and logistical capabilities of the military health services with local and provincial government resources, we are significantly boosting the capacity, reach and speed of service delivery to our residents,” he said.
Buku said the programme would also strengthen relationships between communities and the SANDF.
“Our communities and young people will have a rare opportunity to interact positively and directly with the armed forces,” he said.
If communities leave feeling heard, cared for and better supported than before, then we know we’ve achieved something meaningful
Matolweni said the programme’s success would ultimately be measured by its impact on people’s lives rather than the number of patients treated.
“Success is when someone who has been living with pain finally receives treatment.
“It’s when a family receives support during a difficult time.
“If communities leave feeling heard, cared for and better supported than before, then we know we’ve achieved something meaningful,” he said.
Patients requiring ongoing treatment will be referred through the provincial health department’s existing referral system, while residents needing social support or youth development services will be linked to the relevant government departments and partner organisations.
Project Owethu has been held annually in the Eastern Cape since 2024 following premier Oscar Mabuyane’s call for greater involvement by the SA Military Health Service in strengthening healthcare delivery and expanding access to health and social services, particularly in vulnerable communities.
