Rahima Moosa Mother and Child Hospital has strengthened its emergency water infrastructure after Awqaf SA completed a new backup water connection for the hospital’s Outpatients Building, helping ensure uninterrupted access during municipal supply disruptions.
The project was officially handed over during a ribbon-cutting ceremony on 29 June, attended by the hospital’s Chief Executive Officer, Dr Arthur Manning, members of the hospital’s management team and representatives from Awqaf SA.
According to a statement issued by Awqaf SA, the initiative was launched after recurring Johannesburg Water interruptions exposed a critical weakness in the hospital’s emergency water system.
Although the hospital already had access to borehole water, the Outpatients Building was not connected to the existing backup supply, leaving essential outpatient services without water during outages.
Awqaf SA partnered with the hospital to design and install the new connection, which is now fully operational and supplies backup water to the Outpatients Building whenever the municipal supply is unavailable.
Dr Manning said reliable access to water remains one of the foundations of quality healthcare.
“Although the hospital has sophisticated MRI and CT scan equipment, one of the greatest contributors to quality healthcare is simple hygiene. As Florence Nightingale recognised many years ago, this remains true today.
“Without a reliable water supply, hospitals cannot function effectively. This project is therefore not a small contribution — it is a significant investment in quality patient care.”
Awqaf SA founding CEO Zeinoul Abedien Cajee said the project demonstrated how sustainable charitable giving can strengthen essential public services.
“Today is about far more than pipes and infrastructure. It is about preserving life, protecting dignity and serving humanity.
“Every mother, every newborn child, every healthcare worker and every patient who depends on reliable access to clean water will benefit from this project. This is the spirit of waqf — creating lasting public benefit through sustainable charitable giving.”
Cajee said the project continued the longstanding tradition of waqf, the Islamic institution of perpetual charitable endowment, which has historically supported hospitals, schools, clinics, water systems and other public infrastructure serving communities for generations.
“For centuries, waqf institutions have helped establish hospitals, schools, clinics, water systems and other public services that continue to benefit communities long after they are built.
“Access to reliable water remains fundamental to safe healthcare, infection prevention and human dignity.”
He thanked the donors who funded the project and praised the partnership between Awqaf SA and the hospital.
“This project demonstrates what can be achieved when civil society and public institutions work together in service of our communities. We hope it inspires similar partnerships across South Africa.”
The Rahima Moosa project forms part of Awqaf SA’s broader programme to improve water security at schools, healthcare facilities, places of worship and vulnerable communities across South Africa through sustainable infrastructure projects.
Awqaf SA is a South African non-profit organisation that advances social development through the Islamic institution of waqf, supporting initiatives in healthcare, education, water security, humanitarian relief and community development.
