New mothers denied access to Gauteng health facilities by anti-migrant groups

Young mother Faith Maphosa clutched her 10-day-old baby, hoping they would be let into the Rosettenville Community Health Centre in Johannesburg, where she had given birth just over a week earlier. 

“I am hoping that they will eventually grow some compassion for my baby and let me in. I also require medical attention because I was operated on when I gave birth to the baby; but I will be okay even if they only check my baby’s health,” Maphosa, a Zimbabwean who stays in Rosettenville, said on Monday, 7 July.

She is one of many people who have been turned away from some healthcare facilities in Gauteng over the past few weeks by various anti-migrant groups, which broadly fall under the “Put South Africa First” banner – including Operation Dudula, the Patriotic Alliance (PA) and several smaller community groups. 

The groups are demanding that South Africans be prioritised for economic opportunities and services, such as healthcare, over undocumented migrants, whom they want deported. They contend that foreign nationals are burdening the country’s health system to the detriment of locals.

“They demanded proof of our nationalities and we were denied access because we are not South Africans. The clinic has our clinic cards because we come here for medical attention,” another young mother, who identified herself only as Joyce, said.

She said she was at the Rosettenville Clinic to have her baby vaccinated.

Read more: Tensions rise at Hillbrow Clinic as Operation Dudula attempts to deny migrants healthcare access

As Daily Maverick’s Lerato Mutsila has explained, section 27 of the Constitution explicitly states that everyone living in South Africa has the right to access basic healthcare services, and no one may be denied emergency medical treatment, even if they are undocumented.

The Immigration Act stipulates that only immigration officers and members of the South African Police Service (SAPS) have the authority to ask citizens and foreign nationals to produce valid documentation.

Hillbrow Community Health Centre

The Hillbrow Clinic was a shadow of the hive of activity it had been over the past week, as members of the PA, along with a small group of residents and members of Operation Dudula, denied access to foreign nationals.

An off-duty security officer at the clinic told Daily Maverick on Monday morning that the clinic was full compared with last week. 

“When Operation Dudula was here last week, it was strangely empty, as this clinic sees throngs of people from around Hillbrow daily. They left last week after an argument with police, and they said they were going to find legal ways to block the foreign nationals,” the guard said.

“The [anti-foreigner] groups that have been coming here are not happy with the matron. They feel that she is siding with the foreign nationals, and when they came on Friday, some of them demanded to speak to the clinic’s provincial manager,” he said.

Rosettenville Clinic

Young mother Maphosa and others who were denied access to the Rosettenville Clinic on Monday sat across the road from the clinic while a small group, who told Daily Maverick that they were community members, stood guard at the gates screening those entering.

Aneliswa Dutshwa, who spoke on behalf of the local anti-migrant group, said: “Home Affairs and immigration [officials] were hired. Let us see them. Let them be visible here. We would not be here if Home Affairs and immigration were visible; it’s cold.”

Dutshwa claimed that South African voters’ concerns were not being taken seriously by the government. 

“We want immigration and Home Affairs to be visible. We are not taking a break until immigration and home affairs are visible,” Dutshwa said.

As they continue to be denied access, foreign nationals told Daily Maverick that they were also being denied a chance to take their clinic cards so they could access other facilities.

They said they had hope that they would be helped. Those who could afford private healthcare said they would do so. 

Read more: Operation Dudula in the dock — rights organisations confront anti-migrant group in court battle

Siphiwe Mpofu, a Zimbabwean who says she stays around the corner from the clinic and was at the Rosettenville clinic to collect medication, said private health facilities require their clinic cards, which include their medical history.

“I would have left already because it’s clear that they will not allow us in, but I want my clinic card because private health facilities require clinic cards. If they can give me my card, I will leave,” Mpofu said.

Another patient said: “At least they should give us our clinic cards so that we can seek healthcare elsewhere.”

Operation Dulula

Operation Dudula has vowed to intensify its operations at health centres. The group argues that the country’s health centres are seeing an influx of foreign nationals, which they say has put the health system under severe strain. It further argues that South Africans continue to bear the brunt of this strain.

Read more: Open letter – Collective Voices against Health Xenophobia’s appeal to the health minister

The group has been calling for the deportation of all undocumented foreign nationals since its emergence in mid-2020. 

Operation Dudula argues that foreign nationals are taking jobs meant for South Africans and are not employed according to the law. Asylum seekers are allowed to apply for the right to work in South Africa. 

Speaking to the media recently, Operation Dudula’s Zandile Dabula said they would intensify their operations in health centres. The group would call for doctors who are foreign nationals to be replaced with South Africans, even if the foreigners were legally employed. 

Patriotic Alliance

Over the past few weeks the PA has turned up at various healthcare facilities to deny foreign nationals access. The party’s leader, Gayton McKenzie, has been frank regarding his anti-migrant stance.

Last week, some members of the PA turned up at the Hillbrow Clinic to continue ongoing operations against foreign patients.

Speaking to Daily Maverick about their involvement in these operations in the past week, PA deputy president and City of Johannesburg Roads and Transport MMC Kenny Kunene said: “The Patriotic Alliance is participating in the denying of foreign nationals healthcare to heed to the clarion call by our president, Gayton McKenzie.”

Police deployment

In response to the ongoing blocking of access to healthcare facilities, the government has condemned the anti-migrant groups and said it will deploy police to maintain peace and enforce the law at the affected facilities.

“Government has noted with serious concern the reported incidents where certain groups and communities have blocked foreign nationals from accessing healthcare services at public facilities,” the government said over the weekend.

“While government understands the genuine frustrations of many citizens regarding the pressures on public services, including overburdened clinics and exhausted healthcare workers, members of the public are urged to raise such concerns through lawful and appropriate channels. Taking the law into one’s own hands is unacceptable and undermines the values enshrined in our democratic Constitution,” it continued.

The government said these acts were in violation of the South African Constitution.

“The SAPS in collaboration with the Department of Health is deploying Public Order Police to maintain law and order during the protests at the affected health facilities.”

Read more: Home Affairs and police deny collusion with Operation Dudula as court battle continues

On Sunday, police spokesperson Major General Nonkululeko Phokane told Daily Maverick: “The South Africa Police Service in Gauteng, along with Johannesburg Metro Police, as well as Gauteng Traffic Wardens, have been deploying officials to restore calm and maintain law and order at health facilities where protests have been reported.”

Gauteng police spokesperson Brigadier Brenda Muridili said: “These deployments are as and when needed. Officials are not static at the affected health facilities. Gauteng law enforcement agencies will continue to implement an operational plan to address protests by groups blocking foreign nationals’ access to healthcare facilities.” 

“As and when there are disruptions or unrests in the country, the SAPS will deploy accordingly,” national police spokesperson Brigadier Athlenda Mathe said. 

“Should the need arise, the SAPS will respond to its mandate.”

Department of Health

“We made the call to the law enforcement agencies to assist as this matter is beyond us and requires the police to step in,” Gauteng Department of Health spokesperson Motalatale Modiba said.

The spokesperson for the national Health Department, Foster Mohale, said on Sunday that the department condemns the actions of groups blocking people from accessing healthcare facilities and called on them to raise their concerns through legal channels “instead of taking the law into their own hands”.

“We also call upon law enforcement agencies to deal decisively with those who break the law. People should exercise their constitutional rights responsibly,” he said, adding:

“The issue of undocumented foreign nationals is a societal one, it affects all sectors of the society. We equally condemn anyone who illegally enters the country with sole intention to access healthcare in South Africa, especially public service facilities.” DM