Rights movements thrown weight behind Dudula

The civil rights groups, which were picketed at clinics across Soshanguve, Pretoria, on Monday, have thrown their weight behind Operation Dudula, which was recently hauled to court for allegedly intimidating, harassing and preventing foreign nationals from accessing healthcare services, among others.

The picketers, who form part of no less than five civic movements, were all singing the same song – saying illegal foreign nationals have no place in South Africa.

They also prevented them from accessing clinics around Soshanguve, saying South Africans must be the frontline beneficiaries of state resources.

Members of the Progressive Forces of South Africa, Defend South Africa, Concerned Tshwane Residents, March and March, and Denville Mbokodos, joined hands to strengthen their fight against undocumented immigrants in the country.

Defend SA’s Secretary, Rachael Makhubele, says they are not shaken by the court case filed against Operation Dudula.

“We are not shaken. Actually we like it when they take us to court because the more they do that, the more we get angry, the more we become united, and the more we are eager to fight. What Operation Dudula is doing is fighting for the rightful citizens of the country. We can’t deny that South Africa is overburdened by illegal foreign nationals,” says Makhubele.

Makhubele says too many foreign nationals in the country have taken advantage of South Africa’s Ubuntu (humanity) and members of his organisation have had enough.

Defends SA’s Tshegofatso Mabunda claims that according to the South African law, people are only permitted to use public medical services if they are properly documented.

Like Makhubele, Mabunda says they are fed up.

He claims that many South Africans have died as a result of not being able to receive medication, to which they are entitled to, due to illegal immigrants in the country.

“We decided to take a stand because the government is doing nothing about it. Our people come to hospitals and die because they don’t get the medical attention that they have a right to. This is because of undocumented illegal foreign nationals who come here and there are so many of them. They even fool the system by collecting medication at different clinics and then they go home with it to sell it there,” says Mabunda.

Up to at least 45 illegal immigrants were warned not to approach the Soshanguve block X clinic by the picketing members, with some immigrants claiming they have been suffering since entering South Africa.

Among them are those who attempted to gain access to medical services at the clinic, but were turned away.

Demonstrators urged them to return to their home soil to make space for South Africans in the country.

One foreign national was left in tears soon after the incident.

Princess Sibanda says she found out that she is HIV positive last week, and was scheduled to start her treatment.

“When I came here last week Friday, they took my blood and then told me I am positive. They then told me to come back today(Monday) to get my treatment which I have to start today. So now when I come here at the clinic today, those people at the gate said to me I must not go inside the clinic,” says Sibanda.

She says she is pained, not only by the alienation she receives for being a foreign national, but also because her parents died from HIV/Aids.

She managed to enter South Africa in 2021 without documents and says she left her three kids back home in Zimbabwe with family, while she hustles this side.

Picketers are up in arms, saying they feel no remorse for antagonising foreign nationals.

They say far too many South Africans are deprived of resources because of undocumented foreign nationals.

Healthcare workers at the Soshanguve Block X clinic say they are relieved that a stand is finally being taken against foreign nationals, who access the facility. They say immigrants abuse public resources.

The healthcare workers also raised concern over overcrowding and the overstretching of resources at public medical facilities.

One of them welcomed the picket not just as a relief for them but also for the community.

“They are just abusing the system. One issue is that they come here without identification; so one person can come three or four times with different names and surnames to get medication. There is no proof where we can turn them away even if we have seen them before. There is also suspicion that they are selling drugs and medication,” says the healthcare worker.

The nurses claim that they often experience burnout due to the large number of patients they have to attend to each day.

They believe that foreign nationals target South African public facilities because they receive help free of charge, where as in their countries of origin, they are expected to pay.

The workers want the government to put systems in place to help maintain resources sparingly in the country, saying there are too many loopholes that illegal immigrants take advantage of.

Some South Africans have mixed reactions toward the picket.

James Mbhele, who had come to the block X clinic in Soshanguve to receive his chronic medication, concurs with the picketers, saying every illegal immigrant should be denied services.

“I do not see why foreign nationals who come here without documents should get help at the clinic. First of all, they are illegal within the country and I seriously have a problem with that,” says Mbhele.

Another patient, Oupa Maotjane, slammed the picket as senseless because some South Africans allow the same illegal immigrants to rent in their yards.

“They are also people just like you and I. When they have health issues they should be helped just like we do because we agreed to be with them in the country. We can’t deny them access to our clinics while some of us allow them to rent in our yards. So I don’t think this picket makes sense,” Maotjane.

Ward 27 councillor, Bongani Masingi, reprimanded the picketers – accusing them of declaring a war. He even asked them to move away from the healthcare facility.

He also ordered them not to drink water from the facility and asked to first obtain permission for the demonstration.

The picketers have vowed to continue denying access to foreign nationals at public health facilities across Soshanguve till further notice. This as the country awaits a high court ruling in the case against Operation Dudula, which could set precedents on how the authorities handle frustrated social rights groups who feel that illegal migration is out of hand in South Africa and put a strain on public resources. Written by Odirile Rabolao