By Anyway Yotamu
Zimbabwe’s Human Rights Commission (ZHRC) has opened talks with South Africa’s Public Protector over the growing problem of Zimbabweans being denied access to public hospitals and clinics across the border.
ZHRC chairperson Jessie Majome confirmed that she met with South Africa’s Public Protector, Advocate Kholeka Gcaleka, to address the situation.
“Last week we met with our South African counterparts, we deliberated on various issues in order to address the challenges and we are currently working on a joint communique which we will share with the public soon,” Majome told 263Chat.
The move comes amid rising hostility towards foreign nationals in South Africa where groups such as Operation Dudula have staged protests to block migrants, mainly Zimbabweans, from using public health facilities.
Activists accuse them of overburdening an already stretched system.
Majome said both institutions had agreed to seek practical solutions.
“When we had our benchmark visit with the Public Protector of South Africa recently, Advocate Kholeka (Gcaleka) and myself agreed that we were going to engage in a more direct way about the issue of Zimbabweans seeking medical health in South Africa because some of them are being barred.
“For example, we need to find out what are the causes. We have Zimbabweans who live at the borders and even across. We have citizens of our countries crossing the borders back and forth, and we also have Zimbabweans who are in South Africa who are irregular immigrants, but some of them are regular migrants. We agreed that we need to sit down and talk, so that we can seek resolutions to that problem,” she said.
Civil society groups have urged leaders in both countries to find a lasting solution.
The African Centre for Governance Regional Director, Tumelo Mokoena said they would engage both governments about the violations.
“We have seen the Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission already raising the alarm, and we are saying we are going to ride on that and be able to get audience from both governments and speak to them about these human rights violations that are happening to the foreign nationals within South Africa.
“We also believe that African problems should be solved by African people and we don’t believe in blocking or denying anyone is the solution for that,” Mokoena said
Zimbabwe’s public health sector has been struggling for years, with chronic drug shortages, dilapidated infrastructure, poor wages and a mass exodus of health professionals driving many citizens to seek treatment in South Africa.
