Gauteng Health MEC condemns blocking of clinics after child's death

Gauteng Health MEC Nomantu Nkomo-Ralehoko has condemned the blocking of access to public healthcare facilities following the death of a one-year-old child.

Last week, Malaiwan National Grace Banda said she was prevented by Operation Dudula members from accessing the alexandra clinic to get health assistance for her sickly toddler.

However, Operation Dudula denies this, saying they did not instruct their members to block access to the clinic.

READ: EFF accuses Operation Dudula of scapegoating foreigners for government failures

Over the past weeks, members from Operation Dudula have been barricading the entrances of public healthcare facilities across Johannesburg.

Several videos have shown them turning away people they say are “undocumented” foreign nationals.

Gauteng Health MEC Nomantu Nkomo-Ralehoko said her department is investigating the circumstances around the death of the one-yearold child and whether his malaiwan mother was prevented from accessing the clinic.

“I feel that child shouldn’t have died. I don’t get any joy or pleasure when I see a child not being serviced or taken care of because health services are for everybody – it doesn’t matter whether the mother is having a child who is Malaiwan but that child doesn’t deserve to die.”

The eff has since laid criminal charges against Operation Dudula over the incident.