GOOD Statement by Brett Herron, GOOD Secretary-General:
Two weeks ago, social media was outraged by images of a woman bleeding in the street outside a clinic in Tshwane. She had been denied access to medical attention by vigilantes because she could not show them a South African ID. She cried for help but received none. Instead, people took photographs of her with their cellphones.
This week, media reported the death of one-year-old Praise Banda in Alexandra after medical vigilantes allegedly stopped his mother, Grace, from entering two clinics for help to stop his vomiting and upset stomach.
These are but the latest shocking outcomes of a campaign that has been conducted for the past several months, mostly in Gauteng, to deny immigrants from neighbouring countries medical treatment at South African taxpayers’ expense.
As of today, the campaign is being taken to the arena of school admissions. Yesterday, Parliament issued a statement advising parents of learners who are foreign nationals to be vigilant, and preferably not to send their children to school today. “We call on the Department of Basic Education to put measures in place to ensure this illegal action does not happen, and that whoever threatens the safety of learners is held responsible,” Chairperson of the Select Committee on Education, Sciences and the Creative Industries, Mr Makhi Feni, said.
The campaign is being conducted by anti-migrant group, Operation Dudula, which recently registered as a political party. In its medical vigilantism, Dudula has been supported by people identifying themselves as members and/or supporters of the Patriotic Alliance, a member of the Government of National Unity.
After Praise Banda’s death this week, members of the PA claimed on national television that they only chased away people who were not suffering from critical conditions – which begs obvious questions over the vigilantes’ qualifications to make medical assessments.
The same news report quoted eye-witnesses saying that people approaching medical facilities were asked to produce South African ID’s – and, if they couldn’t, advised to seek private medical care. Neither the police nor hospital security personnel appear sufficiently bothered to intervene.
All of the above behaviour is illegal.
The Constitution and Bill of Rights are unambiguous about the universal nature of human rights; that, regardless of what you think of the country’s immigration policies and practices, human rights transcend citizenship and all other possible grounds for discrimination.
But government lacks the political will to act. Perhaps it fears the impact of opposing populist bigotry with next year’s local elections looming. Or perhaps its failure to extinguish the fire reflects fear of unleashing a xenophobic firestorm. Besides lacking Constitutional or moral integrity, this would only delay the inevitable; the vigilantism will become more brazen, and the firestorm will come.
The GOOD Party calls on the GNU to issue a strong public statement condemning medical vigilantism – and xenophobia, in general – and to instruct the relevant State departments, including police and health, to take the necessary steps to observe the letter and spirit of the law.
GOOD Core Values: The party emphasizes social justice, equality, and GOOD governance.
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