The Southern Africa Refugee Organisations Forum (SAROF) has filed an urgent application in the Durban High Court seeking to stop anti-immigrant groups from preventing foreign nationals from accessing public healthcare facilities.
The application names Health Minister Dr. Joe Phaahla and Acting Police Minister Nathi Nhleko as respondents, citing a failure by authorities to enforce the law and protect the rights of documented immigrants. This legal action comes after a series of escalating incidents where members of the groups Operation Dudula and the March and March movement have been physically blockading clinics and hospitals.
On-the-ground reports describe protesters camped outside healthcare facilities in Johannesburg and other parts of the country, literally stopping individuals they deem to be foreign nationals from entering.
A representative for the groups has stated their actions are a protest against the South African government’s perceived failure to protect national resources. They claim that immigrants are overburdening an already strained public healthcare system, thereby depriving South African citizens of essential services.
However, in a live interview outside the courthouse, SAROF’s Eric Medal vehemently disputed this justification, calling it “totally a lie.”
“It’s not about illegal migration. It’s for them to feed their political ambitions with no cause,” Medal stated. He clarified that the individuals SAROF is defending are legally documented refugees and asylum seekers, not undocumented migrants. “The police and immigration [officials] are arresting people on a daily basis and they’re deporting them. So their anger is even directed to the wrong people.”
Medal further alleged that the campaign is politically motivated, pointing to public statements from certain government officials and premiers who have suggested that healthcare should be restricted to those carrying South African identification.
Expressing confidence in the judicial system, Medal said, “We believe that South Africa is not a banana republic. They have laws and the constitution [that] abides the law enforcement to do what is right.”
The matter was scheduled to be heard at the Durban High Court. While representatives for Operation Dudula and March and March were not immediately visible at the courthouse, initial reports suggested they might attend. The groups have previously remained defiant, stating that legal challenges only strengthen their resolve to continue their activities.
The outcome of this case is being closely watched, as it pits the constitutional right to healthcare against a growing wave of anti-immigrant sentiment and vigilante action in South Africa.