The Gauteng Department of Health has issued a stern condemnation of recent disruptions at Kalafong Provincial Tertiary Hospital in Atteridgeville, where community members have been obstructing patients from entering the facility, demanding they produce identity documentation at the gate. The unrest, which echoes a similar conflict two years ago, underscores ongoing tensions over access to healthcare services for foreign nationals in South Africa, pitting community groups against health authorities and unions.
In a media statement released on April 25, 2025, the Gauteng Department of Health expressed “grave concern” over the “unruly behaviour” of some community members. “No community member or structure has a right to prevent others from accessing healthcare services, and such illegal acts warrant unequivocal condemnation,” the statement read. The department emphasized that access to healthcare is a constitutional right in South Africa and called on law enforcement to hold those responsible accountable. “Police have been called on site to assist in managing the situation,” said Motalatale Modiba, Head of Communication for the Gauteng Department of Health.
The recent disturbances at Kalafong Hospital are reminiscent of events in 2023, when Operation Dudula, a group advocating for prioritizing South Africans in access to public services, clashed with the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) outside the same facility. At the time, Operation Dudula was picketing to demand that foreign nationals pay for healthcare services, a stance the EFF dismissed as “rubbish.” The 2023 protests saw altercations between the two groups, with Dudula members reportedly chasing away EFF supporters after reinforcing their numbers.
Two years ago, then Health Minister Joe Paahla visited Kalafong Hospital and reached an agreement with Operation Dudula to halt the picketing. According to reports from the time, Dudula members claimed they had secured a deal with both the hospital management and the minister to end the protests. However, the recent resurgence of similar actions suggests that underlying issues remain unresolved.
The 2023 protests drew significant attention from health unions, including the National Education, Health and Allied Workers’ Union (NEHAWU) and the Democratic Nursing Organisation of South Africa (Denosa). Both unions criticized the pickets for straining healthcare facilities and inconveniencing patients and workers. A NEHAWU representative stated, “Our members and workers in general are being inconvenienced, having to come to work, having been asked to produce identity documents by total strangers in order for them to prove that they work here or whether there are patients coming here. It’s an inconvenience.” The union also reported complaints from “dark-skinned nurses” who faced intimidation when entering the hospital premises, calling such acts “unacceptable.”
Denosa, meanwhile, argued that the government had failed to regulate the influx of foreign nationals accessing medical care, a responsibility they believed should have been addressed long ago. “If Operation Dudula and EFF have differences, they should sort them out somewhere else, not in hospitals,” a Denosa spokesperson said, emphasizing that hospitals should remain places of “tranquility” and “peace.”
During his 2023 visit, then Health Minister Paahla acknowledged the need for better regulation of healthcare access for foreign nationals. He proposed engaging in discussions with neighboring countries through the Southern African Development Community (SADC) framework to address the issue. “Every government has a responsibility for its citizens,” Paahla said. “If South Africans are going to go to Namibia to seek help, the Namibian government must hold us accountable. We can provide [services]. What are you going to do to compensate us? Those are the kind of things which we need to put into regulation.”
Paahla’s remarks highlighted the complexity of the issue, noting that South Africa’s challenges are often linked to neighboring countries. “We are members of SADC, for instance,” he said. “The majority of the challenges are in the neighboring countries. We have regular meetings of SADC under the SADC secretariat. So those are the things which we can properly table in those meetings.”
The renewed unrest at Kalafong Hospital has reignited debates about healthcare access and immigration in South Africa. While the Gauteng Department of Health has called for law enforcement intervention, the underlying tensions—between community groups, political organizations, and healthcare workers—suggest that a lasting resolution remains elusive. As the situation unfolds, authorities face the challenge of balancing constitutional rights with public demands for equitable access to strained healthcare resources.