…EFF says SA Health Minister is ‘anti-African self-hater’
Amnesty International has said South Africa Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi should take full responsibility for the failing health system in the country. The organisation accused Motsoaledi of “shamelessly” using refugees and migrants in South Africa as scapegoat for his failure to act.
Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi had claimed that ‘foreign nationals’ were behind the overcrowding of hospitals and the struggling health system in the Rainbow nation.
But in reaction, Executive Director of Amnesty International in South Africa, Shenilla Mohamed, described Motsoaledi’s sentiments could fuel xenophobic attacks.
“Minister Motsoaledi should stop this shameless scapegoating of refugees and migrants. He has been in charge of the health department for almost a decade and should have been fully aware of the challenges faced by the public health system, including the need for more investment, to address the health needs of the growing population. He has failed to take adequate action”.
On Wednesday this week, Motsoaledi said South Africa needed to re-evaluate its immigration policies because foreign nationals were burdening the South African health system.
But Amnesty said Motsoaledi careless remarks could fuel xenophobia.
“He is blaming refugees and migrants to abdicate his responsibility. He should stop fueling xenophobia with these unfounded remarks and take urgent steps to improve access to affordable and quality health care for all persons in South Africa”
Julius Malema’s Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) has also accused Motsoaledi of xenophobia for the remarks.
“The Economic Freedom Fighters condemns the xenophobic statements by Minister of Health Aaron Motsoaledi, who attributes his dismal failure in public health to the number of people, mostly Africans, who reside in South Africa, whilst not being citizens,” EFF spokesman Mbuyiseni Ndlozi said.
Ndlozi said Motsoaledi was “an anti-African self-hater” who was shifting blame for his own mismanagement of the health system.
“Instead of rhetorical and often shallow commitments to quality public healthcare, the minister should consider the introduction of a quality primary healthcare system, similar to the one in Cuba.”
South Africa is hope to many Malawians some of whom have been victims of previous xenophobic attacks with some Malawians brutally being murdered in these attacks.
