Residents prevent foreigners from accessing healthcare at local clinics
The community has seemingly followed what an organisation called 'Dudula' is doing, mostly in the Johannesburg area, where foreigners are prohibited from getting any healthcare service. Investigating, Sedibeng Ster has discovered that the community members take turns to monitor patients at the clinics, barring foreigners from entering the premises and getting treatment or being attended to.
Speaking to Sedibeng Ster on condition of anonymity, for obvious reasons, community members said that the clinics are overflowing with foreigners while the people of South Africa are struggling to get service.
'It is purely because of that that the community has taken this action. We have had it with the situation, and we have decided to take a stand, checking all foreigners.'
Foreigners, who Sedibeng Ster asked for comment about the situation, refused to speak to 'papers' about the tense situation.
'No organisation is doing or funding this; the community just decided to take a stand because they are fed up,' a community member said.
The Gauteng Department of Health (GDoH) said that it is aware of incidents where patients are obstructed from accessing healthcare, and that where there are reports of people who prevent others from accessing health services, the incidents are always reported to the law enforcement agencies, such as the police, who always respond swiftly to deal with the issues.
'The Gauteng Department of Health reported the matter to law enforcement agencies that are custodians of maintaining law and order.'
'In addition, the department remains committed to providing healthcare services to everyone irrespective of their nationality,' said Motalatale Modiba, GDoH's head of communication Modiba said that what the community is doing is not legal.
'We continue to appeal to communities not to take the law into their own hands but to allow constitutionally mandated institutions to be the ones that enforce the law.'
Sharpeville police spokesperson, Constable Busisiwe Sango, said there have not been any cases (of threats) reported to them; however, they are monitoring the situation.
Meanwhile, the residents of Vereeniging have also joined in the 'campaign'.
A video circulating on social media shows them preventing foreign nationals from entering the Market Street Clinic in Vereeniging, demanding South African documentation.
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