A community clinic just north of Johannesburg has become the frontline of a battle in South Africa over whether foreigners can access public health facilities.
What started as a small local action in one area in 2022 has spread, with activists from the avowedly anti-migrant group, Operation Dudula, picketing some hospitals and clinics in Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal provinces. They check identity cards and stop anyone who is not South African from entering.
Despite some arrests, the authorities seem unable to prevent the pickets. The site of their latest campaign is in Dieplsoot – a poor township of more than 200,000 people near the country's commercial hub.
On a cool, spring Thursday morning, Sicelokuhle Moyo, a Zimbabwean woman, faced an unsettling scene at the clinic when she arrived to collect her medication. With two men demanding identification, she was turned away after presenting only her passport, which was not accepted under Operation Dudula's strict checks.
The growing anti-migrant actions are part of a broader issue that highlights healthcare access rights in South Africa, where about 2.4 million migrants reside. These actions have sparked serious debates about xenophobia, governmental responsibilities, and the respective rights of South African citizens versus migrants.
The leader of Operation Dudula, Zandile Dabula, argues for prioritizing South Africans in healthcare access, claiming the public health system is overburdened. Meanwhile, many rights activists criticize the movement’s disregard for the constitution, which ensures healthcare access for all.
As the tension escalates, many migrants are left without necessary medical care, highlighting the urgent need for resolution in the complex social fabric of South Africa.
What started as a small local action in one area in 2022 has spread, with activists from the avowedly anti-migrant group, Operation Dudula, picketing some hospitals and clinics in Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal provinces. They check identity cards and stop anyone who is not South African from entering.
Despite some arrests, the authorities seem unable to prevent the pickets. The site of their latest campaign is in Dieplsoot – a poor township of more than 200,000 people near the country's commercial hub.
On a cool, spring Thursday morning, Sicelokuhle Moyo, a Zimbabwean woman, faced an unsettling scene at the clinic when she arrived to collect her medication. With two men demanding identification, she was turned away after presenting only her passport, which was not accepted under Operation Dudula's strict checks.
The growing anti-migrant actions are part of a broader issue that highlights healthcare access rights in South Africa, where about 2.4 million migrants reside. These actions have sparked serious debates about xenophobia, governmental responsibilities, and the respective rights of South African citizens versus migrants.
The leader of Operation Dudula, Zandile Dabula, argues for prioritizing South Africans in healthcare access, claiming the public health system is overburdened. Meanwhile, many rights activists criticize the movement’s disregard for the constitution, which ensures healthcare access for all.
As the tension escalates, many migrants are left without necessary medical care, highlighting the urgent need for resolution in the complex social fabric of South Africa.
