Mashaba’s head on the chopping block for ‘skopo’ comments – report

The South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) will reportedly consider the comments made by the city of Johannesburg mayor Herman Mashaba about informal traders, foreign nationals, and the handling of meat products.

The mayor initially found himself in hot water for his original tweet on Monday which read: “I have just personally stopped this illegally act in our city. How do we allow meat trading like this? I am waiting for @AsktheChiefJMPD to come and attend before we experience a breakdown of unknown diseases in our @CityofJoburgZA.” (sic)

In response to the outrage sparked by the initial tweet, Mashaba responded: “We are going to sit back and allow people like you to bring us Ebolas in the name of small business. Health of our people first. Our health facilities are already stretched to the limit.” (sic)

The Sowetan reports that SAHRC commissioner Angie Makwetla said Mashaba had not carefully thought through his comments on foreign nationals.

Mashaba has since issued an apology for what he said but not what he did.

READ MORE: Mashaba apologises for what he said but not what he did

Makwetla was quoted as saying that despite Mashaba’s apology, the right thing to do would be to engage the mayor on the SAHRC’s concerns “so that he knows that whenever he makes a statement, he should stop and think”.

The SAHRC commissioner reportedly said Mashaba’s comments that people cannot be allowed “to bring us Ebolas” verge on xenophobia because the virus is not found in South Africa.

Makwetla said the comments would raise concern and scare people.

“When we come across leaders who make statements which may border on xenophobic statements, which don’t even have facts to support them, then we need to be careful. So we will call Mr Mashaba as a leader so that we can talk to him.”

Meanwhile, the SABC reports Minister of Health Aaron Motsoaledi told attendees of the National Education, Health, and Allied Workers’ Union’s (Nehawu’s) Nurses’ Summit on Wednesday that foreign nationals burden the country’s health system.

Motsoaledi was reportedly speaking on the second day of the summit held in Johannesburg, saying that the country needed an increase in the number of hospitals and clinics to service South African and foreign national patients.

Motsoaledi reportedly said this made it necessary for the country to reconsider its immigration policies to manage the number of undocumented and illegal immigrants entering South Africa.

However, he added that the weight brought by foreign nationals to South Africa has nothing to do with xenophobia: “It’s a reality. Our hospitals are full, we can’t control them.”

The minister reportedly made an example that in South Africa’s health facilities, a pregnant woman who is due to give birth cannot be turned away because of her nationality.

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