DA Gauteng veteran Bloom tipped for GNU post

Veteran Democratic Alliance (DA) Gauteng Member of the Gauteng Provincial Legislature Jack Bloom says he sees a potential move into national government as a continuation of his life’s work in public health. 

This after party leader and Cape Town Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis recommended him for a position in the Government of National Unity (GNU), as deputy minister of water and sanitation. 

It follows significant changes in the DA leadership and renewed speculation about a possible reshuffle of its representatives in the GNU. Political analysts have linked the changes to the growing influence of Hill-Lewis, now DA leader, within the party and ongoing debates about its role in national government. 

Bloom ‒ who was first elected to public office in 1994 ‒ told the SA Jewish Report that he was surprised by the recommendation but viewed it as an opportunity to tackle one of South Africa’s most pressing problems. “I think it’s a marvellous opportunity,” he says. “I see it as a continuation of my health mission because primary healthcare and clean water and sanitation are absolutely vital.” 

Bloom has spent decades as a vocal opposition politician, particularly through his oversight of Gauteng’s Health Department. He played a central role in exposing the Life Esidimeni tragedy, in which 144 psychiatric patients died after being transferred from specialised care facilities, and has consistently highlighted corruption, mismanagement, and service delivery failures in the province. 

Hill-Lewis says Bloom possesses qualities urgently needed in government. “Jack Bloom brings exactly the kind of experience, integrity, and tenacity that government needs.” The mayor points to Bloom’s role in uncovering the circumstances surrounding the Life Esidimeni disaster. “He pursued the truth when others wanted to look away, and he fought for justice for people who had been failed by the state in the most devastating way,” Hill-Lewis said. 

The proposed portfolio is understood to be water and sanitation, a department facing mounting challenges as municipalities across South Africa struggle with ageing infrastructure, water shortages, pollution, and service delivery failures. For Bloom, the issue is deeply personal. About 15 years ago, he spent nights in informal settlements to better understand the realities facing residents there. The experience later became the basis of his book 30 Nights in a Shack. 

He says those visits exposed him to the daily struggles many South Africans face in accessing basic services. “I was sensitised to the key issues of sanitation and water,” he says, recalling settlements where thousands of residents shared only a handful of taps. “People had to queue with containers. I thought, ‘How difficult is it to put another five taps in and make life so much easier?’” On one occasion, he says, he personally bought replacement parts from a hardware store to repair broken taps. 

While water shortages are increasingly affecting suburban residents, Bloom says the crisis has long been a reality for people living in informal settlements and rural communities. “Water is literally elemental. Water is life and we need to get it right.” 

The move into national government would represent a significant shift for Bloom. “It’s an executive position and I’m used to being in opposition, so I have to change my mindset” However, he stresses that his approach would remain unchanged. “That doesn’t stop me complaining, pointing out inequities, and having zero tolerance for corruption. I’ve always been a corruption buster and where there’s corruption, I will expose it.” 

Hill-Lewis told the SA Jewish Report that this insistence on accountability is precisely why Bloom would be an asset in government. “For too long South Africans have become used to politicians who defend failure, explain away collapse, or protect systems that don’t work. Jack is the opposite. He asks difficult questions, follows the evidence, and stays with an issue until there is movement.” 

The DA leader says such qualities are particularly important in portfolios where service delivery failures have direct consequences. “Failure isn’t abstract. It affects households, hospitals, businesses, farms, and entire communities.” 

Bloom acknowledges that leaving Gauteng’s health portfolio would be difficult after decades of involvement in the sector. “It is a bit of a wrench, to be honest,” he says, describing receiving messages from members of the public who had turned to him for help with hospital-related issues over many years. “It does touch you because you touch people’s lives.” 

Bloom remains concerned about the state of healthcare in Gauteng and believes many of the lessons from Life Esidimeni remain unlearned. “The fact is that nobody has been convicted,” he says. While the National Prosecuting Authority has announced plans to pursue charges, Bloom notes that court proceedings have yet to begin. 

He also points to ongoing concerns about mental healthcare, treatment backlogs, cardiac surgery outcomes, and corruption. “The root cause of our problems is poor management and massive corruption,” he says, citing examples ranging from personal protective equipment scandals during the COVID-19 pandemic to procurement irregularities involving hospital infrastructure projects. 

Resources for patient care continue to be diverted away from their intended purpose, he says. “The real lesson is that we need to treat all patients with dignity and use the available budget in the best way possible. Don’t waste it and don’t let it be stolen.” 

Despite these concerns, Bloom remains optimistic about South Africa’s future. “There are extraordinary people labouring away in our civil service,” he says, pointing to doctors, nurses, and technical experts working in difficult conditions serving communities. 

From his initial examination of the water and sanitation sector, Bloom says, “There are excellent initiatives out there that just need recognition and support.” 

Hill-Lewis echoes that optimism. “The people of South Africa” are what give him hope. “Everywhere I go, I meet people who aren’t waiting for government to save them. They’re building businesses, raising families, teaching children, serving communities, creating jobs, and refusing to give up on this country.” 

Whether or not Bloom ultimately joins the national executive will depend on the outcome of ongoing GNU negotiations and decisions within the DA. For now, however, one of South Africa’s longest-serving political watchdogs appears ready for a new challenge. “I do have a sense of unfinished business in health,” he admits. “But this is a tremendous opportunity that I think I’ll have to dive into and make a splash.”