Malema Calls For Removal of Anti-Zimbabwean Doctor

South Africa’s opposition party, the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) has called for action against Limpopo Health Member of the Executive Council (MEC) Dr. Phophi Ramathuba following remarks she made to a Zimbabwean patient admitted at Bela-Bela Hospital.

This follows a video on social media, showing Ramathuba dressing down a Zimbabwean patient who was waiting for surgery at a South African hospital.

“How do you find yourself in Bela-Bela when you are supposed to be with Mnangagwa (Zimbabwean president Emmerson Mnangagwa) there? You know he doesn’t give me money to operate you guys and I’m operating you with my limited budget. When you guys are sick, I’m hearing these days you just say, ‘let’s cross Limpopo river, there is an MEC there who is running a charity department. It’s not,” Ramathuba is heard telling the patient.

EFF called for Ramathuba’s removal from the executive council over what it’s says lack of ‘respect to the dignity’ of African people.

“We call on her immediate removal as MEC. Our country cannot be led, at any level, by anyone who will not respect the dignity of African people. The MEC is a direct danger to our humanity as a people and the basic requirements of a conduct of health professional. People go to hospitals to find life, not humiliation and death.

“Furthermore, we call for the revocation of her license as a professional doctor for undermining the code of ethics for medical doctors and trying to enforce a dompas system in Limpopo hospitals,” said EFF.

The Julius Malema led EFF adds “Her entire ill-informed and inhumane performance and address to sick patient awaiting surgery is inconsistent with all universal standards of patient confidentiality and dignity.

“The MEC’s open rejection of patients awaiting surgery on the basis that they are African from other African countries is only informed by nothing else, but Afrophobia, a hatred of other African people.

“Where is patient confidentiality and dignity? The basic fact that they are human means their rights to dignity are inalienable. It does not matter what the limitations of budget is, no one, not even illegal immigrants deserve such a humiliating treatment.

“Africa belongs to Africans and there is no room for Xenophobia in South Africa, therefore the EFF will report Ramathuba to the South Africa Human Rights Commission for what is an outright Human Rights violation of patients.”