The Office of the Public Protector South Africa (PPSA) has denied claims that it is in discussions with the Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission (ZHRC) over the denial of healthcare access to Zimbabwean nationals in South Africa.

This follows reports that anti-migrant groups have been blocking foreign nationals from entering public health facilities across the country, claiming they strain already stretched public resources.

Among these groups is Operation Dudula in Gauteng, which has been actively preventing undocumented immigrants from accessing healthcare. 

Similarly, the March and March Movement has done the same in KwaZulu-Natal.

These organisations are known for their strong anti-immigration stance and have, in some cases, camped outside public health facilities, insisting services should be reserved for South African citizens only.

Over the weekend, media reports claimed the ZHRC – which serves a role similar to that of a public protector in Zimbabwe – had lodged a formal complaint with its South African counterpart regarding the issue.

However, acting PPSA spokesperson Ndili Msoki refuted the reports, stating the office had no record of such a complaint from the ZHRC.

Msoki clarified that the PPSA hosted a ZHRC delegation on September 10 and 11, 2024, as part of a benchmarking visit initiated by the ZHRC, similar to visits hosted for other oversight institutions globally.

“At the same time, the PPSA hosted an ombudsman delegation from another African country,” he said.

“The visit covered a range of topics common to institutions with similar mandates, including best practices, corruption, and service delivery challenges in both countries, among them healthcare systems.”

Msoki stated that on October 14, 2024, following a request from the ZHRC, the PPSA shared documents intended to enhance the ZHRC’s institutional capacity to investigate wrongdoing in Zimbabwe.

“At no point did the discussions – then or recently – focus on the denial of Zimbabwean nationals’ access to healthcare in South Africa,” he said.

He added that the talks broadly touched on the state of healthcare systems in both countries. The PPSA also shared its healthcare system investigation as a reference for the ZHRC’s work in Zimbabwe.

“We are therefore surprised by media reports claiming recent discussions centred around Zimbabweans being denied healthcare access in South Africa,” Msoki said. 

“We have no record of any such complaint.”

Msoki added that the PPSA is committed to assisting the ZHRC in strengthening its institutional impact, in line with international standards to uphold the rule of law, protect human rights, and promote good governance.

simon.majadibodu@iol.co.za

IOL News

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