Gauteng Health MEC Nomantu Nkomo-Ralehoko has made an emotional plea for an end to the blocking of foreign nationals from public healthcare facilities, following the death of a one-year-old child in Alexandra.
The child’s Malawian mother claimed she was denied access to the Alexandra clinic by members of Operation Dudula while seeking urgent medical care. The tragic incident has sparked outrage, with critics accusing the group of contributing to the child’s death.
“Health services are for everybody,” Nkomo-Ralehoko said. “It doesn’t matter whether that mother is having a child who is Malawian, but that child is a child that doesn’t deserve to die.”
The MEC urged those blocking access to clinics to reflect on the human impact of their actions. “Before I am an MEC, I am a mother, a grandmother, and how would I feel if my grandchild died because somebody blocked that access in that clinic?” she asked.
Operation Dudula has denied instructing members to block patients from entering healthcare facilities. However, in recent weeks, members and leaders of the movement have reportedly stationed themselves outside public clinics, turning away people they claim are undocumented foreign nationals.
In response, the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) in Gauteng have laid criminal charges against Operation Dudula and its leader, Zandile Dabula, accusing the movement of causing the death of the child.
Nkomo-Ralehoko emphasised that public healthcare must be accessible to all, regardless of nationality. “This is unlawful,” she said, “and we must put ourselves in the shoes of others.”
The incident has reignited debate over migration, access to healthcare, and the role of community groups in policing undocumented foreigners, with critics warning that such vigilante actions can have deadly consequences.