Pretoria News reports that Operation Dudula supporters picketing outside Kalafong hospital in Atteridgeville on Tuesday threatened to roll out their action across the country.
The group said their campaign would seek to prevent suspected foreigners from assessing medical treatment from other hospitals. For almost three weeks, protesters have been hurling threats against foreigners and stopping them from using the health-care centre. On Friday, the Department of Health obtained a court interdict from the Gauteng High Court in Pretoria ordering them to disperse from the facility. However in defiance of the interdict, about 10 people picketed again on Tuesday outside the hospital. Police were called but they only read out a court interdict to the group and left. Operation Dudula representative Dan Radebe said: “We are rolling out the campaign throughout the country from today (Tuesday) and we are carrying on.” He claimed supporters of the operation were on standby to picket outside various hospitals. “All that we are fighting for is for people to respect our laws,” Radebe claimed. ‘Doctors Without Borders’ in SA has expressed worries that protests preventing patients, including migrants, from accessing medical care smacked of xenophobia. The organisation said that through its operations in Tshwane it had recorded several cases where migrants with a legitimate right of access to health had been denied care. Radebe commented: “We understand that they have a code of ethics to save lives. We are not against that. But upon discharging those illegal migrants – do you discharge them on to the street or as the CEO do you summon the police and immigration (officers) to hand them over.”
- Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Rapula Moatshe at Pretoria News
- Read too, Dudula vows to extend its anti-foreigners siege, at SowetanLive
- And also, Voetsek Dudula! EFF calls out members for turning away 'illegal' foreigners at Kalafong Hospital, at TimesLive
Get other news reports at the SA Labour News home page