South Africa President Cyril Ramaphosa has backed under fire Limpopo health Member of the Executive Council Dr. Phophi Ramathuba saying she raised an important issue.
Ramaphosa made the remarks whilst responding to questions raised in Parliament on the conduct of Dr. Ramathuba after she berated a Zimbabwe national who was admitted at Bela Bela hospital.
In a video that circulated on social media last week, Dr. Ramathuba is seen complaining that Zimbabweans are depriving South African nationals health provisions.
She even goes on to say the Mnangagwa administration does not pay her for rendering services to Zimbabweans.
However, Ramaphosa said the Limpopo MEC raise a critical issue despite using the wrong platform to air her views.
“The MEC of health in Limpopo has raised an important issue how service provision is affected by migration, that is an important issue that is on the top of minds of many South Africans and indeed it is part and parcel of having to deal with the whole issue of a framework around migration and not only on our continent but elsewhere as people move around the world.
“One of the issues they are asked is are you able to make provision for any service that might have to be offered to you in any shape or form so that is part of that whole process of having to deal with migration so the MEC has raised an important issue which is currently under debate.
“Of course she raised it in the presence of a patient and I guess such an important issue could have been raised another way but that as it may, it has been raised and it has evoked debate not only in our country but also in Zimbabwe and also the rest of the continent,” said Ramaphosa
He added “It is a matter that is going to enjoy quite a lot of attendance even as we meet at head of states level to discuss what precisely the movement of people should really entail, what should accompany that in the form of services, health issues criminality and the rule of law, so all those matters are matters that are germane to the whole process of migration.”
