“You are supposed to be with Mnangagwa. You are killing my health system. When you guys are sick you just say, 'Let's cross the Limpopo River, there's a MEC there who's running a charity department'.”
Political parties and civil society organisations were outraged at her comments and called for the MEC to be removed.
The EFF called her a “reckless populist”, while the DA in Limpopo wrote to the SA Human Rights Commission about the matter.
Ramathuba told TimesLIVE 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[s] to reduce the backlog. It's not xenophobic.
“We started this 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 that the vast majority of people on the list are foreign nationals and the operations they come here for are not even emergencies.”
She said the patient she approached was not there for an emergency.
We asked TimesLIVE readers what they thought of her comments and demands for her to be axed.
Most (69%) of those who voted believe the MEC was justified, with 25% saying it was xenophobic. 6% said that the MEC is an attention seeker and should be ignored.
'Don't give her the boot': What you said about MEC outburst and calls for her to be axed
TimesLIVE readers have weighed in on Limpopo health MEC Phophi Ramathuba's outburst on immigration and calls for her to be axed.
The Limpopo health MEC got tongues wagging when she told a patient migrants are to blame for her department's stretched budget and that the patient's country, not SA, should take responsibility for her health.
“You are supposed to be with Mnangagwa. You are killing my health system. When you guys are sick you just say, 'Let's cross the Limpopo River, there's a MEC there who's running a charity department'.”
Political parties and civil society organisations were outraged at her comments and called for the MEC to be removed.
The EFF called her a “reckless populist”, while the DA in Limpopo wrote to the SA Human Rights Commission about the matter.
Ramathuba told TimesLIVE 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[s] to reduce the backlog. It's not xenophobic.
“We started this 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 that the vast majority of people on the list are foreign nationals and the operations they come here for are not even emergencies.”
She said the patient she approached was not there for an emergency.
We asked TimesLIVE readers what they thought of her comments and demands for her to be axed.
Most (69%) of those who voted believe the MEC was justified, with 25% saying it was xenophobic. 6% said that the MEC is an attention seeker and should be ignored.
72% of voters also rejected calls for Ramathuba to be fired over comments, saying she is a good MEC whose “comments were taken out of context”.
22% said she must go, while 6% said we should leave it up to her bosses.
The debate continued on social media.
“This MEC should be protected, she is exactly what this country needs at the moment,” claimed Xabiso Malimba.
“She's 100 percent wrong, those questions were not meant for a sick person but the Zimbabwean government,” argued Hlayiseka Mabunda.
Tsholo Tobolo said the MEC “was telling the truth but as a government official she should be a little diplomatic”.
“She is in a position to solve this illegal immigration problem without throwing tantrums, it felt like she was mocking a patient.”
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