Civil society groups and activists are calling for controversial Limpopo Health MEC Phophi Ramathuba to be deregistered if found guilty at an inquiry in July for her xenophobic tirade against a Zimbabwean patient in August 2022, which was captured on video and went viral on social media at the time.
Although she was sanctioned by the Health Professions Council of South Africa’s (HPCSA’s) Medical and Dental Professions Board in January for unprofessional conduct, she was merely given a “caution and reprimand”.
However, she rejected both the findings and the sanction, said the HPCSA’s legal adviser, Viceroy Maoka, and will now have to appear before the Medical and Dental Board’s Professional Conduct Committee in Pretoria.
Daily Maverick reports that the inquiry, set down for 25-27 July, is open to the public.
In the video, Ramathuba, accompanied by an entourage, was seen chastising a patient in a hospital bed in Bela-Bela, who was believed to be an undocumented foreign national.
When the woman said she was Shona-speaking, Ramathuba said: “You are supposed to be with (Zimbabwean President Emmerson) Mnangagwa; you know he doesn’t give me money to operate. And I’m operating with my limited budget.”
Before the patient had the chance to respond, Ramathuba continued in what has been widely slammed as a bullying and “dehumanising diatribe”.
She told the patient she would not be discharged until she had paid her bill, adding that she was not “running a charity department” for Zimbabweans crossing the border.
Defiant and unapologetic
Ramathuba has been unapologetic about the incident, saying her priority is to reserve budgets and resources for South African citizens.
Although she was backed up by the ANC in Limpopo, her outburst was condemned by health profession unions Nehawu and Hospersa. The embassy of Zimbabwe in Pretoria also raised a complaint through the Department of International Relations & Co-operation.
The ongoing HPCSA inquiry against Ramathuba stems from a complaint against her by Kopanang Africa Against Xenophobia (Kaax) and Lawyers for Human Rights (LHR), and supported by seven other civil society organisations, including the Treatment Action Campaign, SECTION27 and the Helen Suzman Foundation.
The original complaint laid with the HPCSA extends to complaints against the other medical practitioner shown in the video, “who stood by and watched the MEC violate the patient’s rights and dignity”.
The human rights groups also charge that Ramathuba abused her power as MEC and was untruthful in her message “that foreigners are to blame for poor healthcare service delivery and that foreigners are overburdening the healthcare system”.
They are calling for Ramathuba to be removed from the HPCSA’s register if found guilty and that she be fined and liable for all costs. They’ve also called for an investigation to determine the identities of the healthcare professionals who were with Ramathuba at the patients’ bedside but failed to stand up for the patient, so they can also face disciplinary action.
Neil Shikwambana, director of communications in the Limpopo Health Department, said the MEC “maintains her commitment to co-operate with the HPCSA”, and that Ramathuba has not been contacted by the HPCSA.
He says: “The HPCSA is yet to invite her to the inquiry on a date that is still to be determined. She is shocked to hear from Maverick Citizen that the matter will be held in July.”
See more from MedicalBrief archives:
HSPCA criticised for ‘limp’ sanction for Limpopo MEC
Limpopo MEC under fire over migrants comments
Foreign patients: a burden on the system, or scapegoats for poor management?