The Gauteng Health MEC has called for an urgent end to the healthcare block for foreign nationals following the tragic death of a one-year-old child in Alexandra. The child’s Malawian mother claimed she was denied entry to a clinic by members of Operation Dudula. The incident has sparked outrage, raising questions about constitutional rights, public health risks, and political accountability in South Africa’s healthcare system.
Healthcare Must Be Accessible for Everyone
Gauteng Health MEC Nomantu Nkomo-Ralehoko reminded South Africans that public healthcare is a right guaranteed by the Constitution. She stressed that Section 27 of the South African Constitution clearly states that everyone has the right to access healthcare, regardless of nationality or documentation status.
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“Health services are for everybody. It doesn’t matter whether that mother is having a child who is a Malawian, but that child is a child that doesn’t deserve to die.”
This appeal highlights the importance of putting human life above divisive politics.
The Alexandra Tragedy Sparks Debate
The MEC’s plea followed the death of a Malawian child, reportedly turned away from the Alexandra clinic. The mother claimed community members linked to Operation Dudula blocked her access. Operation Dudula has since denied issuing instructions to prevent foreign nationals from entering healthcare facilities.
Despite this denial, reports show the group’s members have barricaded hospital entrances and attempted to turn away patients suspected of being undocumented. The tragedy in Alexandra has escalated public anger, intensifying calls for accountability.
Political and Legal Fallout
The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) in Gauteng has filed criminal charges against Operation Dudula and its leader, Zandile Dabula. The charges accuse the group of causing the child’s death.
This legal action reflects growing pressure on authorities to enforce the law. Blocking access to healthcare is not only unlawful but also undermines South Africa’s efforts to strengthen its health system. The South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) has reiterated that healthcare rights apply to everyone within the Republic’s borders, regardless of immigration status.
Public Health Risks of Blocking Access
Beyond the moral and legal dimensions, experts warn of public health risks. Denying healthcare to foreign nationals weakens South Africa’s ability to control infectious diseases.
The Gauteng Health Department has already faced challenges in containing measles and Mpox outbreaks. Officials argue that if even one person is denied treatment, it could lead to widespread community infections.
Dr Percy Selepe, Acting Chief Operating Officer of Gauteng Health, explained:
“If we cannot treat one person who is going to infect hundreds of people, we will be held liable.”
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Overcrowding and Resource Strain
Healthcare facilities in Gauteng face severe overcrowding. The 2023 Health Ombud Report found that over 40% of patients admitted at Rahima Moosa Mother and Child Hospital were foreign nationals.
This high demand places enormous pressure on facilities already struggling with staff shortages, ageing infrastructure, and limited budgets. However, experts caution that turning patients away is neither legal nor sustainable. Instead, they call for better funding models, cross-border agreements, and stronger government partnerships to manage the demand fairly.
A Personal Plea from the MEC
Nkomo-Ralehoko did not only speak as a politician. She framed her call as a mother and grandmother, urging empathy:
“Before I am an MEC, I am a mother, a grandmother, and how would I feel if my grandchild died because somebody blocked that access in that clinic?”
Her words underline the human cost of politicising healthcare access. For her, the focus must remain on saving lives, not dividing communities.
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The call by the Gauteng Health MEC to end the healthcare block for foreign nationals comes at a critical time for South Africa’s health system. The tragic death in Alexandra has laid bare the consequences of unlawful clinic blockades.
Constitutional law, public health risks, and human rights obligations all point to one conclusion: healthcare is for everyone, without exception. Moving forward, South Africa must strengthen its systems, enforce legal protections, and ensure no child or patient is ever denied access to life-saving care again.
