No discussions with ZHRC about Zimbabweans denied access to healthcare services: public protector
There has been a growing trend of advocacy groups such as Operation Dudula blocking illegal foreigners from receiving medical care. The small fringe group has been protesting outside clinics and hospitals, checking patients' nationalities and turning away non-South Africans.
In a recent interview with Newzroom Afrika, ZHRC chairperson Jessie Majome said she had a conversation with public protector Kholeka Gcaleka about how the two countries can resolve the issue.
'This is not a new conversation. In September 2024 Gcaleka hosted the ZHRC for a benchmarking and learning visit,' Majome said.
'During the visit we agreed we want to come together and devise ways to come up with lasting solutions to ensure all human beings enjoy their rights freely.'
The public protector's office said it did host the ZHRC delegation last year and no discussions were held about Zimbabweans being denied access to healthcare services in South Africa.
'The visit covered several issues commonly shared between institutions with a similar mandate, including but not limited to best practices within the environment, corruption and challenges relating to service delivery in the two countries, among those being healthcare systems,' the public protector's office said.
'Consequently, and on the request of the ZHRC, on October 14 the public protector of South Africa shared documents with the ZHRC that would assist to strengthen the ZHRC's institutional capacity to investigate malfeasance in its own country. At no point did the discussions then, or recently, focus on the denial of Zimbabwean nationals' access to healthcare services in South Africa.
'We are therefore surprised by reports in the media about discussions, which purportedly occurred recently, and were centred around matters relating to Zimbabwean nationals being denied access to healthcare services in South Africa, neither do we have record of a complaint of that kind.'
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Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Ad loading Kopanang Africa said migrants are being used as a scapegoat in the healthcare crisis. Image: Kopanang Africa website Ndlovu responded: 'These vigilantes exploit legitimate public frustration like a 32% unemployment rate, over-strained services, and their narrative dangerously distorts reality. 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