Historic South African nursing college collapsing in plain sight

When the Moroka Hospital College of Nursing opened in Thaba Nchu near Bloemfontein in September 1939, it was a cornerstone in training generations of South African nurses.

Nearly a century later, the historic campus stands largely abandoned, its once-proud buildings deteriorating from years of neglect.

Although some facilities on the premises remain in use, critics say they are insufficient to sustain effective training and operations.

The provincial government has acknowledged that “indeed, infrastructure has been the weak link of the Department,” but assures that Dr. JS Moroka has been placed on its priority list for upgrading.

The origins of the facility date back to the 20th century, when mission and government hospitals in rural Free State were the main sites for training Black nurses because of segregation in health services.

The Moroka hospital became one of the region’s key training hospitals for nurses serving Black communities in the Orange Free State/Bophuthatswana area.

It was officially opened in September 1939, dedicated by the Reverend C. Crabtree. It was confirmed again by the Superintendent of the Methodist Conference, Rev. Wameara, on 31 August 1945.

The district hospital was later named after Dr James Sebe Moroka, a Thaba Nchu-born physician, educated in Edinburgh, who practised in Thaba Nchu for decades.

He was a prominent local and national figure, serving as the president of the African National Congress (ANC) from 1949 to 1952.

The nursing training at Dr J.S. Moroka has been run as a hospital-based school of nursing and, more recently, organised as a sub-campus or nursing education centre linked to the Free State provincial School of Nursing system.

Official provincial/SANC documents list Dr J.S. Moroka Sub-Campus / School of Nursing as an accredited site for the new nursing programmes

The decline of the facility

Newsday visited the site, and while there are newer buildings on the hospital premises, the historic buildings, which occupy a large portion, are in a state of disrepair.

So much so that the old nursing college’s main buildings have plants, and even a well-established tree growing from them.

There are old classrooms, lecture venues, and accommodations that are in significant decay.

Students and staff who spoke to Newsday said that infrastructure issues are a daily problem impacting their work, and repairing some of the vacant buildings could assist.

DA councillor in the area, Raynie Klaasen, said that the Dr. J.S. Moroka Hospital and Nursing College, owned by the Free State provincial government, have long suffered from neglect and disrepair.

Klaasen said that decades of oversight failures by both the province and Mangaung Metro have left key institutions in Thaba Nchu, including Moroka Nursing College, abandoned since the late 1990s.

While symbolic heritage projects, like Dr. James Moroka’s gravesite restoration, have been undertaken, functional infrastructure has not been prioritised.

Current facilities are insufficient for nursing students, who must travel to Bloemfontein or Ladybrand, said the councillor.

Klaasen called for the rehabilitation of the site to provide classrooms, dormitories, and training wards, and expand local youth opportunities.

Thaba Nchu’s health infrastructure has been stressed by under-investment, governance problems and workforce issues.

Academic and departmental reports point to staff burnout, resource constraints and the hospital’s central role as a district referral point — all of which affect training quality, clinical exposure and retention of students and tutors.

Provincial government to give the site a revamp

Free State Department of Health spokesperson Mondli Mvambi told Newsday that MEC for Health Monyatso Mahlatsi convened a two-day internal infrastructure review on 4 and 5 December 2025.

The review found that “indeed, infrastructure has been the weak link of the Department.”

Mvambi said the process was a necessary moment of recalibration to ensure infrastructure better supports health outcomes.

“The session looked at everything from small to large projects and took a decision that there is a need for reprioritisation of projects and reclassification of these from new buildings, refurbishment and maintenance as well as allocation of responsibilities between and sources of funding for these projects.”

He said that this will be presented at the strategic planning session of the Department early in the new year.

“However, we can confirm that Dr. JS Moroka is in the priority list of projects for upgrading… work is happening at that facility to ensure completion of those projects that were started before embarking on new ones.”

“It’s unfortunate that the opposition parties would choose to go to the media to enquire about service delivery when they have the choice to enquire about this through the Legislature process,” he added.

More images of the Moroka Hospital College of Nursing buildings