Patients living with a cleft lip or cleft palate can get free surgery at the Nelson Mandela Academic Hospital in Mthatha. The specialist care will run from 29 October to 1 November 2026.
The programme is open to patients from the Eastern Cape and nearby regions. Infants, children and adults with an unrepaired cleft lip, cleft palate or both will be accepted, according to IOL.
“We want families to know that they do not have to navigate this difficult journey alone,” said Sarah Scarth, Executive Director of Operation Smile South Africa. “If you or your child is living with an unrepaired cleft, please get in touch with us and let our team explain how we can help.”
This year the work is split into two parts. Health screenings will take place on Thursday, 29 October 2026.
During the screenings, medical specialists will check each patient. They will make sure the patient is ready for surgery and safe to receive anaesthetic. Each patient will also get a treatment plan made for them.
Surgeons will then operate over three days in a row, from Friday, 30 October to Sunday, 1 November 2026.
The previous mission took place at the same hospital in October 2025. Volunteer medical staff screened more than 40 patients and completed 32 cleft surgeries. The 2026 programme adds a third surgery day so that more operations can be done.
Eastern Cape MEC for Health Ntandokazi Capa confirmed that the province supports the clinical team. Capa said the team brings together “cleft surgeons, anaesthetists, paediatricians, nurses, dentists, speech therapists, psychologists and other specialists”.
Children’s surgery specialists say cleft conditions differ in how serious they are. An untreated cleft can make it hard for a baby to suckle and gain weight. It can also affect normal speech and hearing.
Patients with clefts often develop other problems too. These include teeth that grow out of line and trouble with breathing.
Scarth said getting surgery “can be difficult, especially for families living in rural communities”. She said the organisation works to help patients “access specialist care closer to home”.
The programme also includes training for local health workers. Doctors, nurses, anaesthetic registrars and speech therapists from the province will work next to the visiting specialists.
They will help prepare patients for surgery, assist in theatre and watch over patients as they recover. This is meant to help local staff manage long-term cleft care.
“Conducting surgeries is just one part of our programme,” Scarth said. “It is also about strengthening the skills and knowledge within the communities we serve.”
The Mthatha mission falls in the year Operation Smile South Africa marks 20 years. The organisation started working in South Africa in 2006.
According to its records, the organisation has completed 6 221 reconstructive surgeries since then. It works with provincial health authorities to cut the waiting list for surgery.
Screenings for the 2026 mission begin at the Nelson Mandela Academic Hospital on 29 October.
Source: this article is based on reporting by IOL. Image: IOL. Written with the help of AI and published by the Tzaneen Voice News desk. See our Editorial Standards.
Kgomotso Maake covers news and politics for Tzaneen Voice. Kgomotso reports on government, Parliament, municipalities, courts, crime and service delivery across South Africa, with a close eye on how national decisions reach towns like Tzaneen and the wider Limpopo province. Stories are written in plain English and focus on the facts: who made the decision, what it means, and what happens next.