Gauteng Health MEC Appeals to Stop Clinic Blockades After Child’s Death

Johannesburg – 22 September 2025

Gauteng Health MEC Nomantu Nkomo-Ralehoko has issued a passionate call to end the blocking of foreign nationals from public healthcare facilities after the tragic death of a one-year-old child in Alexandra.

According to the child’s Malawian mother, she was denied urgent medical care at the Alexandra clinic when members of Operation Dudula allegedly turned her away. The child later died, sparking national outrage and raising urgent questions about healthcare access, xenophobia, and the rule of law.

READ: Health Minister Urges Operation Dudula to Respect the Law in Healthcare Access

MEC’s Emotional Plea

Speaking at a press briefing, Nkomo-Ralehoko stressed that healthcare is a constitutional right and should not be restricted by nationality or immigration status.

“Health services are for everybody,” she said. “It doesn’t matter whether that mother is Malawian, that child is a child — and no child deserves to die.”

She added:

“Before I am an MEC, I am a mother and grandmother. How would I feel if my grandchild died because someone blocked access to a clinic?”

Operation Dudula Under Fire

While Operation Dudula has denied formally instructing its members to block clinics, reports in recent weeks suggest that activists have stationed themselves outside public facilities, turning away those they claim to be undocumented foreigners.

The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) in Gauteng have since laid criminal charges against Operation Dudula and its leader, Zandile Dabula, accusing the group of contributing to the child’s death.

READ: Access to Healthcare for Undocumented Migrants in South Africa: A Legal and Humanitarian Dilemma

Legal and Ethical Concerns

Critics warn that the blockade of clinics by vigilante groups undermines public health policy, human rights, and the rule of law. Legal experts argue that such actions could expose those involved to prosecution for unlawful obstruction and even culpable homicide in cases where deaths result.

Human rights organizations have also condemned the incident, saying it highlights the dangers of allowing community groups to police immigration instead of state authorities.

Wider Debate on Migration and Healthcare

The tragedy has reignited a heated national debate:

• Should foreign nationals, documented or not, have access to public healthcare in South Africa?
• How should authorities address xenophobic community actions without inflaming tensions?
• What safeguards are needed to ensure clinics remain safe and accessible to all patients?

Nkomo-Ralehoko emphasized that blocking patients is unlawful and urged South Africans to put themselves “in the shoes of others.”

What Happens Next?

The upcoming investigation and legal proceedings against Operation Dudula could set an important precedent on how vigilante actions targeting foreign nationals are treated in law.

For now, Gauteng health officials are working to reassure communities that public clinics remain open to all, warning that further loss of life is inevitable if unlawful blockades continue.