JOHANNESBURG - Chaos erupted at Yeoville Clinic in Johannesburg as locals and Operation Dudula members blocked foreign nationals from entering the facilities.
The Thursday standoff was sparked by a viral WhatsApp message calling on the foreigners to gather, after the barring of their compatriots from other public health facilities. The South Africans got wind of this and also arrived.
As a result, parents were left pleading for their children’s right to treatment.
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Healthcare officials hit back, invoking the Constitution and slamming the blockade as an attack on basic rights.
As the standoff deepens, the question remains: In a strained system, who gets to decide who qualifies for care?
By: Theodor Mashele