Tshwarelo Hunter Mogakane
Award-winning Zimbabwean journalist Hopewell Chin’ono has joined hundreds of South Africans who feel Limpopo Health MEC Dr Phophi Ramathuba was justified to speak on the impact of foreign nationals taking up bed space in public hospitals.
In a video that trended at number one on Twitter yesterday, Ramathuba is seen at Bela Bela Hospital addressing a patient who is presumably Zimbabwean.
Ramathuba told the unnamed patient that as an MEC, she was already facing difficulties in providing quality healthcare to Limpopo citizens because of budgetary constraints.
Ramathuba stated that her provincial health budget was determined by the number of documented people living in Limpopo, in line with verified information that Statistics SA provides to the national Treasury. Instead, she has found herself providing healthcare services on behalf of the Zimbabwean government under the leadership of President Emmerson Mnangagwa.
“You are killing my health system. I am going to tell you something truthful and painful: Stats SA goes and counts people during the census and they tell me that Limpopo has 5.7 million people. They tell me that out of that number, 91% is dependent on the state.
“When the National Treasury allocates its budget, they say Limpopo has 5.7m people and they subtract the 9% (who have medical aid) and they give me a budget for the 91% to do all these (surgeries). Instead of using the budget for what it is meant for, I am (doing the surgeries that) Mnangagwa is supposed to do. That is why when my people in Limpopo want health services they can’t get them, and that is angering the communities,” said Ramathuba.
She added that Home Affairs Minister Dr Aaron Motsoaledi had been accused of being xenophobic when calling for the control of illegal immigration at the border gates that connected South Africa to neighbouring countries.
“Our hospitals are operating on Mozambican nationals, and you are not registered anywhere. You are even illegal. This is unfair. I can’t go to Zimbabwe to seek healthcare. Do you think they can operate on me? It’s for their own people.
“I went to Canada this year and before they could approve my visa they wanted me to show proof that if I fall sick in Canada I will be able to cater for myself. It is only in South Africa where people just come in. People have a problem with Minister Motsoaledi. He was working in the health (ministry) and he knows the pain,” Ramathuba said.
The outspoken Chin’ono shared Ramathuba’s sentiment and called on Zimbabweans to confront their government instead. “In any normal country this video would be the leading item on all news stations and newspapers, and it would cause an emergency debate in parliament tomorrow morning, but not in Zimbabwe.
“This South African minister is right; Zimbabwe has become an embarrassment due to Zanu-PF looting. All of Zimbabwe’s central hospitals only need US$50 million to run well for the whole year. Zimbabweans must locate where their problems lie,” he said.
A majority of Twitter users sided with the MEC, stating she was telling the truth. There was even a number hashtag, “She’s 100%”, that trended in her defence.
This followed outrage from EFF deputy president Floyd Shivambu and provincial convener Dr Mbuyiseni Ndlozi. The two released media statements after Twitter users created an explicit language hashtag to attack them for their views.
Some Twitter users said the EFF had lost an opportunity to address issues facing citizens on the ground because they, unlike millions of South Africans, enjoyed the privilege of having medical aids. In their two statements, the EFF labelled Ramathuba “morally bankrupt” and “reckless populist”.
“The EFF calls for the immediate removal of the cynical, arrogant and morally bankrupt MEC of Health in Limpopo, Phophi Ramathuba, for her inhumane comments towards a sickly patient.
“Ramathuba, whose cruelty reveals she is posturing as a medical doctor, was recorded humiliating and cross-examining a patient who was due for surgery because she was receiving medical care in South Africa while she hails from Zimbabwe. The hateful comments, which were in full view of individuals who laughed at the merciless shaming of a patient, reveal a shocking hatred for a fellow human being by someone tasked with protecting and saving human life,” said EFF spokesperson Sinawo Thambo.
Ndlozi said Ramathuba had violated the patient’s right to dignity. “Her entire ill-informed and inhumane performance and address to sick patient awaiting surgery is inconsistent with standards of patient dignity.” Ramathuba did not respond to questions.
However, Ramathuba has defended herself against the backlash and criticism over her comments, saying the people of the province go to her when faced with service delivery issues.
“When people of Limpopo are waiting to be operated and they are not getting joy, they come to no one other than me. When there are challenges I see that are affecting initiatives as a province, I will have to address those challenges.
“So, yes, I will have to deal with anything that has to do with health issues in my province for the sake of those people of Limpopo," Ramathuba told SABC News.
Pretoria News