Thato Moncho and the battle to unlock access to healthcare

 Last week, Thato Moncho passed away after losing her battle with cancer (January 2, 2026). She was a prominent South African cancer activist best known for her brave fight against breast cancer and systemic failures in the public healthcare system. She was diagnosed with stage 2 inflammatory breast cancer in September 2020. Despite completing chemotherapy, she faced a four-year delay for radiation therapy due to departmental backlogs. Her cancer recurred and metastasized during this wait, eventually making her ineligible for radiation treatment.

Moncho became a symbol of the struggle for cancer care in Gauteng, serving as a primary face of legal action against the Gauteng Department of Health (GDoH). She was one of the central figures in a landmark court case brought by the Cancer Alliance and SECTION27 to address massive backlogs in radiation oncology services. Her story highlighted the tragedy of over 3,000 patients awaiting life-saving treatment at facilities like Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Academic Hospital despite allocated funding being available but unused. She has been heralded by civil society organizations, trade unions and the community of Soweto at large as a "fearless fighter" who gave a voice to thousands of patients suffering in silence. In this hour, we reflect on this and where we stand on the radiation therapy backlogs at hospitals. We are joined by...

Guest: Khanyisa Mapipa - Head of Health Rights at SECTION27

Guest: Salome Meyer - Coordinator of the Cancer Alliance

Guest: Zwelinzima Vavi  - Secretary General of the South African Federation of Trade Unions