Govt condemns actions preventing hospital entry on skin colour and language

Government has condemned the actions of some citizens who have been preventing people from accessing healthcare services at the Kalafong hospital in Attridgeville, based on the colour of their skin and the language spoken.

This comes after a dark-skinned Venda speaking woman was left hurt and distraught after a confrontation with Operation Dudula members who were barring foreign nationals from entering the hospital on Monday.

“Is it because of the darkness of my skin?” asked the 28-year-old woman who was stopped, questioned and accused of being a foreigner by members of the movement.

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In a statement, government spokesperson Phumla Williams says the actions by the Operation Dudula movement are infringing on basic human rights.

“They go against the tenets of our hard fought for democracy. In South Africa, the right to access basic health services is a basic human right that is guaranteed by the Constitution. South Africa is governed by the rule of law, which makes provision for every person in the country, regardless of their nationality or documentation status to access healthcare.”

Williams says the victimisation of patients and hospital employees who are suspected of being foreign nationals should be condemned.

“The Southern African Development Community Agreements, to which South Africa is a party to, allows foreign nationals from member states to receive the same care as all South Africans.”

Williams said Minister in the Presidency, Mondli Gungubele, emphasised that “preventing access to healthcare can have dire consequences to patients and have a negative impact on the public health system and to citizens at large.

“We understand that the public health system is overburdened because of a myriad of challenges; however, doctors and healthcare workers have an obligation to provide healthcare to those in need.”

Williams says South Africa subscribes to its constitutional principles which protect the human rights of all the people leaving in the country and that South Africans should strive to live in harmony with fellow Africans and be part of building a better country and a better Africa.

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