Hours after some EFF members arrived at Kalafong Hospital in Atteridgeville, Pretoria, blows were exchanged as they tried to disperse a few members of Operation Dudula who had stationed themselves outside, turning away “illegal” foreign nationals.
“Voetsek Dudula!” the EFF members shouted.
A few metres away, police monitored the situation.
The EFF members sang and chanted as they continually told the Dudula group to “guard the borders”.
The small Dudula operation stood in a circle, appearing to have a caucus, after a sing-off between the two groups which was masked by tension.
Gauteng EFF spokesperson Philip Makwala said the party was at the hospital to protect it from Dudula.
“We are here to make sure Kalafong Hospital is protected from a certain orchestrated forum called Dudula, led by three men, stopping pregnant women and people who are sick from accessing health care, a fundamental human right.
“We are surprised the police are not doing anything. The department of health has obtained a court interdict but it's clear these people must be dispersed; they should not be anywhere near Kalafong Hospital, but police are here watching — doing nothing while they are supposed to be enforcing law,” he said.
Makwala said this confrontation could lead to black-on-black violence.
TimesLIVE Premium reported that a Venda-speaking woman was hurt and left distraught after a confrontation with Operation Dudula members on Monday who were barring foreign nationals from entering the hospital.
The demonstrators stood outside the entrance, one with a loudspeaker, as they informed those approaching that illegal foreigners would not be allowed in. A member of Operation Dudula said they had turnt back more that 100 “illegal” foreigners in the three weeks they had been outside the hospital.
The Gauteng department of health said it obtained a court interdict on August 26 from the high court in Pretoria. It instructed the group to stop threatening, preventing and denying patients (deemed to be non-South African) and employees at Kalafong Hospital from accessing the facility to receive medical attention and to administer care respectively.
Makwala also called out the City of Tshwane and its metro police for not intervening.
“We express our disapproval to Tshwane metro police, to human rights [organisations] and the mayor — why are we not seeing Tshwane metro police while bylaws are being contravened? There is a public disturbance in a very sensitive place, but the municipality is not saying anything. It's no longer about Zimbabweans or Mozambicans, even Tsongas and Vendas are being asked unnecessary questions,” he said.
Makwala said the EFF will not watch powerlessly when a group of “thugs” prevents people accessing a key fundamental human right.
He said they would also monitor other hospitals.
“We are not only going to maintain it here. We have been told even at Baragwanath Hospital, a group of six people is busy doing these silly games — we will make a move. We cannot sit and watch powerlessly when they continue to disrupt the operations of our hospitals. Gauteng is calm, it is safe and people must get access to healthcare freely without any element of interruption.”
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