Published on : 01/09/2022 – 20:28
Another day of protest against foreign patients in South Africa. The public hospital in Kalafong, near Pretoria, was visited by protesters from the xenophobic group Operation Dudula. For several days, they have been demonstrating in front of its doors to prevent foreigners from coming to receive treatment.
With our correspondent in Pretoria, Roman Song
Protesters accuse foreigners receiving hospital treatment of collapsing the healthcare system. The government and the NGO Doctors Without Borders have already condemned these gatherings. But they continue and turn into clashes.
They are never very numerous, but they make a lot of noise. Members of Operation Dudula again came to demonstrate in front of Kalafong hospital, as they have been doing intermittently for the past two weeks. And this despite the prohibition obtained in court, to prevent and threaten anyone who would come to receive care. The management of the hospital expressed their frustration at seeing the police not intervening against the demonstrators.
To support the migrants, several activists from the Fighters for Economic Freedom party came to oppose the members of Operation Dudula. The two groups briefly clashed and police fired stun grenades to disperse the crowd.
Visiting the hospital, Health Minister Joe Phaahla came to chat with Operation Dudula, only calling his action counterproductive and wrong. The Minister wants to show that he understood the message sent by these demonstrators. For the government, the free access of foreigners to care in South Africa poses a problem for the financing of the hospital and discussions should be held with the countries of origin.