Mzansi’s anger towards foreigners described as a symptom of state’s failure

Legal Resources Centre’s advocate, Sheldon Magardie, says the anger directed at foreign nationals is only a symptom of the state’s failure to comply with its own Constitutional regulations.

The human rights lawyer is reacting to a campaign by some South Africans, from various parts of the country, who are blocking illegal immigrants from entering clinics for treatment.

In an incident that’s raised eyebrows in some quarters, an alleged health worker from the Kwa-Thema Clinic in Ekurhuleni was heard expressing gratitude, in a viral video, to the groups who have embarked on the campaign for taking the burden of dealing with long queues off their shoulders.

WATCH: Kwa Thema Clinic nurse breathes a sigh of relief follow an ongoing campaign that seeks to ease the burden of illegal foreigners who are entering the country to seek free medical care, while Zimbabweans have been basted with medication from public healthcare facilities that… pic.twitter.com/BDknbYR2eo

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This as the country awaits a verdict on a class action against Operation Dudula, which is accused of intimidating, harassing, and preventing foreign nationals from accessing healthcare services, among others.

Magardie stresses the need to address South Africa’s troubling history of violence against foreign nationals, as these xenophobic incidents undermine the country’s democracy and are  in conflict with the values outlined in the Constitution.

“Recognising that the injustice of the past means recognising that for the vast majority of citizens of this country they were also discriminated against on the basis of the colour of their skin and their ethnic groups. There are no quick fix solutions to this problem,” he warns.

It is estimated that at least 62 people were killed in the 2008 xenophobic attacks.

 

The African Diaspora Global Network has also weighed in.

The organisation, which represents all Africans who live outside the continent, says while there is a problem of illegal immigration in South Africa, the scourge must be dealt with through legal channels which includes the Department of Home Affairs and the SAPS.

The organisation warns that if that’s not done, it could lead to violent confrontations between South Africans and foreigners.

African Diaspora Global Network chairperson, Dr Vusimuzi Sibanda, says preventing people from accessing healthcare is a crime.

 

Amnesty International South Africa says while it understands the citizens’ frustration, vigilantism isn’t the answer.

The organisation’s executive director, Shenilla Mohamed, says authorities must act against the groupings who violate people’s rights.

The South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) has also slammed these incidents, saying preventing people from accessing healthcare services is not only unethical and unlawful, but also inconsistent with the country’s obligations under both domestic and international human rights law.