Mnangagwa govt's spokesperson accuses Aaron Motsoaledi of xenophobia

Zimbabwean government spokesperson Ndavaningi "Nick" Mangwana has accused South Africa's Health Minister, Aaron Motsoaledi, of xenophobia. This accusation follows Motsoaledi's recent comments suggesting that Zimbabwe is sending its citizens to South Africa to exploit free medical services.

Motsoaledi, a former Home Affairs Minister, has consistently criticized the influx of Zimbabwean immigrants into South Africa. He alleged that South African hospitals are being overwhelmed by foreign patients who do not pay for their care.

During a media briefing at the ANC NEC Lekgotla in Benoni earlier this month, Motsoaledi compared the situation to a father instructing his children to eat at a neighbor's house instead of addressing the family's own issues.

"They just close their eyes and let people cross the border (into South Africa). It's unfair," said Motsoaledi.

Motsoaledi claimed that a Zimbabwean doctor had once sent a cancer patient to South Africa with a request for a pint of blood. He said:

"I want to address this publicly, even though it may be sensitive. During the period when Phophi Ramathuba faced widespread criticism, she received a letter from a patient sent to South Africa by a GP in Zimbabwe. The letter requested a pint of blood for a woman with stage 4 cancer."

Motsoaledi added, "In other words, one country is asking another for help. This is troubling because blood is not something we can manufacture. It comes from the population. Zimbabwe has people with blood to donate. If they lack the technology to collect it, they should ask for assistance to organize donations rather than sending their patients across the border. It's unfair."

In response, Mangwana criticized Motsoaledi's remarks as uninformed and xenophobic. On social media, Mangwana shared a video of National Blood Services CEO Lucy Marowa affirming that Zimbabwe has sufficient blood stocks and commented:

"The National Blood Services CEO, Ms. Lucy Marowa, confirms that Zimbabwe has enough blood supplies. This addresses some misinformed and xenophobic statements made by a foreign minister."

The dispute between Harare and Pretoria over Zimbabwean patients affecting South Africa's healthcare system began in 2022. In August 2022, then Limpopo MEC of Health Phophi Ramathuba provoked controversy by criticizing a Zimbabwean woman seeking surgery at a public hospital in Limpopo. Ramathuba's comments about foreigners burdening South Africa's health sector drew varied responses, with some medical professionals accusing her of ethical violations.

The Zimbabwean Embassy in Pretoria expressed "shock and disbelief" over the video and raised concerns with the Department of International Relations and Cooperation. South African President Cyril Ramaphosa suggested that Ramathuba could have addressed the issue of immigrants using South Africa's healthcare services in a different manner, while acknowledging the impact of migration on service delivery.