From blasting a patient to reprimanding schoolgirls: 5 times health MEC Ramathuba made headlines this year

Limpopo health MEC Phophi Ramathuba made headlines this year for outbursts that saw demands for her to be given the boot. 

Some of her outbursts were called xenophobic and sexist by many, including the DA and EFF.

Here are five times Ramathuba made headlines this year:

Blasts patient from Zimbabwe

In a viral video shared in August, Ramathuba told a Zimbabwean admitted to a Limpopo public hospital her country must take responsibility for her health issues and not South Africa.

She said Zimbabwe President Emmerson Mnangagwa does not contribute to Limpopo’s health budget.

“You are supposed to be with Mnangagwa. You are killing my health system. When you guys are sick you say, ‘let’s cross the Limpopo river, there’s a MEC there who is running a charity department’.”

It is not xenophobic

Speaking to TimesLIVE, Ramathuba said her comments were taken out of context.

“On a daily basis we have an influx of foreign nationals choking the health system in Limpopo. The situation is getting worse. As a province, we have a backlog of surgical operations so I started a programme called Rural Health Matter to reduce the backlog. It's not xenophobic.

“We started the programme when we had a breather during Covid-19 and we have done more than 4,000 operations.

“I started doing inspections, only to find the vast majority of people on the list are foreign nationals and the operations they come here for are not emergencies.”

‘I will not apologise’

The health MEC flatly rejected calls to apologise or resign following the video.

Ramathuba told the Sunday Times she would not say sorry for taking out her frustration about the influx of foreigners on a patient. She defended her actions, saying she berated the patient after she had received treatment.

She said calls for her axing came “from the middle class, who do not use public hospitals”, and claimed she had the support of most Limpopo citizens.

“As a leader you are leading a constituency and you must listen to that. The constituency I represent is suffering. I am the voice of the 91% of Limpopo citizens using public healthcare and if they say I must go, I will go. But I cannot be told by the less than 9% who know they are comfortable where to go.”

‘You understand who voted for you to serve them’

Patriotic Alliance leader Gayton McKenzie defended Ramathuba amid calls for her to step down. 

McKenzie said his party stands with Ramathuba, calling her a “true leader”.

He agreed illegal immigrants are placing strain on all government services. 

“They are far from the only problem besetting our country, but to try to downplay the scale of the problem is something that seems only to be done by those privileged enough to afford medical aid and private healthcare.”

‘Open your books and close your legs’

Earlier this year, Ramathuba was criticised on social media after a video emerged of her advising schoolgirls to “open your books and close your legs”. 

She made the comments during a visit to Gwenane Secondary School in Sekgakgapeng to monitor the first day of the new academic year. 

“To the girl child, I say: Open your books, and close your legs. Don’t open your legs, open your books,” she said. 

Amid a backlash, Ramathuba told TshisaLIVE critics used the video clip out of context and chose to be ignorant about the factors that make teenage pregnancy a problem in rural areas and townships.

TimesLIVE

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