Question NW297 to the Minister of Health
08 March 2023 - NW297
Hlengwa, Ms MD to ask the Minister of Health
Whether he has been informed that members of Operation Dudula have been protesting and chasing away immigrants from outside and within health facilities in Johannesburg, resulting in the specified individuals being denied the provision of healthcare and increasing the risk of xenophobic violence in healthcare practices; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details of the steps that have been taken to uphold (a) the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996, as well as (b)(i) domestic and (ii) international legal obligations, which ensure the right to health for all?
Reply:
I was made aware of Operation Dudula protesting outside public health facilities around Gauteng province including Johannesburg and Kalafong Hospital.
a) In Kalafong Hospital, Operation Dudula protest caused an obstruction of free access to the facility, hence the need to intervene, which was done in collaboration with the Gauteng Provincial Department of Health and Kalafong Hospital management.
b) (i) Gauteng Provincial Department of Health applied for an urgent court interdict against Operation Dudula. Subsequently, the Court order preventing disruption to free access to the hospital was granted. Over and above working with the Gauteng Provincial Department of Health, we prevailed with the South African Police Service to be more decisive in implementing the interdict, thus ensuring the protection and safety of all healthcare users, including foreign nationals. The court was applied mainly to prevent obstruction of healthcare facilities from being accessible to all users, including foreign nationals.
(ii) I, together with the Director-General gave the leadership of Operation Dudula an audience, who by the way also had other allegations against the Kalafong Hospital management. Operation Dudula leadership was informed that there are other ways of addressing their allegations against the hospital management. Having visited the Kalafong Hospital and assisting the Gauteng Provincial Department of Health and subsequently meeting with Operation Dudula leadership, was done as an attempt to open the lines of communication so that Operation Dudula are free to talk to us about specific matters they might have.
END.